Helbrede Meg
by DarthWinterSoldier
Summary: Josie lived a quiet life. School, work, and organizing town events. She never realized that under the normality of Mystic Falls there was a whole new world, until she fell in head first.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Helbrede Meg**

 **Summary: Josie lived a quiet life. School, work, and organizing town events. She never realized that under the normality of Mystic Falls there was a whole new world, until she fell in head first.**

 **Author's Note: So, this is my first story constructive criticism is welcome, but please no flames. I'm writing this for fun with my friend who is my editor and co-author, but we are only human and not perfect. My story starts in season two during** _ **Rose**_ **, so sorry about any confusion or missed pieces. Please read and review. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **, only any unrecognizable plot and OC's.**

 **Third Person POV** (Unless otherwise specified)

 **Chapter One**

* * *

In a secluded area, a small Ford Taurus pulls up to the side of a dark Ford Expedition SUV. A darkly dressed, handsome middle aged man steps out of the car, and walks casually over to the driver side of the SUV. The man behind the wheel is sitting in the dark of the vehicle wearing a cap and sunglasses.

"Where is she?" The man in the vehicle asks softly with a British accent.

"In the trunk, I did exactly what you said. But, there was a… complication in the retrieval, another girl was there, so I brought her along too." The man spoke in a monotone voice, belaying no emotion.

The covered man was quiet for a moment before replying, "Good, put them in the back."

The man opened the trunk of his car, revealing two unconscious girls lying next to each other. The first girl was tall and slender with straight brown hair, and wearing bloodstained clothing. The second girl had red-auburn curls, and a dark sea green party dress with tall heels on her feet.

He effortlessly lifted the two unconscious girls, one at a time, from the trunk of the car and transferred them into the back of the SUV, then rejoined the man behind the wheel.

"Thank you for your help." The covered man told him.

"Is there anything else?"

"One more thing. Come closer, please." The man moved forward. "Closer," he whispered.

The other man moved until he was right next to the window, and then the covered man reached out, pulling him into the car. He then bit the other man and drove away, leaving his car, and body, to be found.

* * *

At the Gilbert house, Jeremy knocks on his sister's bedroom door.

"Yo, Elena!" he calls.

After receiving no response, he opens the door, and is confronted with the image of an empty room.

* * *

Once he got to school, Jeremy caught a glimpse of Stefan at his locker among the sea of Mystic High students, and wandered his way through the crowd to join him.

"Hey, Jeremy." Stefan greets him.

"Look, Elena's got to let me know if I'm supposed to cover for her. Jenna's cool with the two of you, but you guys are pushing it." Jeremy responds slightly bemused.

Stefan looks confused, "What are you talking about?"

"You and Elena. Look, I'm glad you guys are back together, but if she's going to sleep over…" Jeremy tells the vampire.

Stefan interrupts him, "Wait, wait… hold on a minute. We're not back together."

Now Jeremy is the confused one, "Wait… she didn't stay at your place last night?"

"No, I mean, I saw her at the party but that was it. She didn't sleep over."

Genuine confusion was etched across Jeremy's face. "Well her bed hasn't been slept in and Mrs. Lockwood said that her car was still in the driveway. Where is she then?" he exhaled in a rush to Stefan.

Just then, Tyler approached them asking, "Hey, have you guys seen Josie this morning? She was supposed to meet my mom this morning to talk about the historical society tea party, but she didn't show."

* * *

"Haven't seen her," Stefan responds with a meaningful look at Jeremy, "But we'll keep an eye out if we see her. If you'll excuse us, Tyler."

A groan is heard as the vampire carries in Elena and lays her on the couch next to another still unconscious girl.

"Please." She moans, as she is being carried. As he removes the ties from both of the girls, the taller of the two asks, "What do you want?"

"Ssh." He tells the brunette.

"Please, I'm hurt." Elena attempts to plead with who she assumes is her kidnapper.

"I know," the man leans closer. His eyes turning red with dark blue veins protruding across the surface of the skin beneath them, and fangs elongating in his mouth. "Just a taste," he breathed.

Elena had sucked in a breath, a scream getting caught in her throat, at the vampire's words.

"Trevor!" A woman's voice barked. "Control yourself." She ordered in a quieter voice.

The man, Trevor, stands up from the couch. As he passes the woman, he scoffs, "Buzz kill."

"And who is she?" The unnamed woman asks her companion, gesturing near Elena's feet.

Elena looked over towards the other end of the couch to a small stirring figure she hadn't registered as being there before. Then, she gasped out a frightened, "Josie!" Wondering why she was there, before the memory struck her.

***Flashback***

 _The masquerade was finally over, and Stefan and Damon were taking an unconscious Katherine to the tomb to be locked up._

 _As Elena walked to her car, wanting to go home and change out of her blood-stained clothes before someone saw, she heard a bell-like voice chime out, "Elena, wait up!"_

 _She turned around to see Josie, the petite girl was_ trying _to walk quickly over to her in heels she must have been forced into by Mayor Lockwood. Her dark red curls were pinned up in a twisted up-do, and she was wearing an elegant, floor length dark green dress, and her heels made her previously 5'2 figure look closer to 5'4"._

 _The slightly younger girl was holding something in her hand, and as she got closer, Elena realized that it was her phone._

" _Oh my God." She exclaimed to her friend. "I don't know what I would have done without this. Thank you so much Josie." She breathed out in relief. Internally, she worried that Josie might have seen a message about the supernatural side of Mystic Falls from Stefan or Damon. Elena instantly berated herself for the thought, Josie would never snoop through someone else's phone._

" _Oh, it was nothing." She told Elena sweetly (She was always too nice for her own good). "I was getting ready to go home anyway" she continued, "Carol and Tyler begged me to come, but I can't find them any… What happened?!" She exclaimed, shock and horror filling her voice, finally registering that not only was Elena not dressed up, but she was also covered in bloodstains._

" _Josie…" Elena trailed off, unable to think of anything to tell her friend that could even begin to explain the significant amount of blood staining her clothing, without a scratch on her._

" _We need to get you to a hospital, now!" Her friend exclaimed, going into what Tyler and the others aptly, and affectionately, described as her Mother Hen mode._

 _Gently, as if Elena might break if she held any tighter, she steered her towards the injured girl's car, carefully taking the keys out of her hand._

" _Josie, I'm fine." She told her friend, unconvincingly. "It's not as bad as you think."_

 _Josie stared at her incredulously, "Elena you look like you were just…"_

 _She was cut off by a masked man approaching them, unnoticed, from behind. Upon reaching them, he roughly grabbed Josie by the hair and rapidly slammed her head onto the roof of the car, promptly knocking her out. Before Elena could even react to the ambush, the man seized hold of her and forcefully pressed a cloth to her mouth. Her eyes never left Josie's prone form as her vision faded to black._

***End Flashback***

"'Lena." Josie slurred groggily. "Where…?" Her question dying off as she caught sight of Trevor and the woman.

Trevor answered his companion's question, "I don't know. She was with the doppelganger when I got her. But whoever she is, she smells mouthwatering."

Josie's eyes widened almost comically at that statement. And Elena was quick to bring the attention off of the younger girl.

"What do you want with us?" Elena strongly asked the woman.

"My God, you look just like her." The woman stared unabashedly at Elena.

"But I'm not. Please, whatever you want…" She demanded desperately.

Josie merely watched the scene unfold, confused and concussed, without a clue as to what was going on.

The woman interrupted Elena's pleas snappishly, "Be quiet!"

"But I'm not Katherine." She insisted irritably. "My name is Elena Gilbert; you don't have to do this, just let my friend go."

"I know who you are, I said be quiet." The woman told her, annoyed.

"What do you want?" The frustrated brunette implored the older woman.

Josie screamed, as the woman reached out, lightning fast, and backhanded Elena across the face, sending her sprawling onto the couch.

"I want you to be quiet." The woman told the unconscious girl. She then turned to the pitiful sight of the other human girl dizzily crawling to her friend. Dismissing her as a threat, she ordered her to, "Stay here and be silent."

The small girl nodded shakily, feeling regret, she let out a groan as her head throbbed with every motion.

The woman then exited the room, leaving the girl to tend to her injured friend.

* * *

Josie waited for what seemed like hours until Elena had woken up. During this time she had taken off her shoes and pulled down her hair, pulling it into a ponytail instead. She was still trying to come to terms with the fact that someone had kidnapped her and Elena for reasons unknown to her.

Although, from the way they were talking it sounded like they only wanted Elena and she was only in the way.

As Elena let out a groan from her position in Josie's lap, they heard their captors speaking in the other room.

"How're the girls?" She heard the female of the duo ask.

The bored response came from Trevor, "Still passed out, and the other is sitting with her."

"You didn't touch her, did you?" The woman inquired, sounding rather worried for someone who had kidnapped them in Josie's opinion.

The male's annoyed voice quipped back at her, "Give me some credit. So, you called him?" The second part of the retort contained none of the arrogance or scorn he began with, but instead sounded quite fearful.

"No. I called one of his contacts. You know how this works."

"Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?" The male's voice was laced with desperation.

Elena started to get up, startling Josie out of her thoughts. "Elena!" She cried out, relieved.

Elena put her finger to her mouth and gestured for Josie to follow her. Josie slowly shook her head, remembering the woman's warning not to leave the room. Elena grasped her hand comfortingly and pulled her friend to the door.

As they reached the doorway, the girls heard the still unknown woman say to her male companion, "They say he got it."

"Wonderful. And what?" He drawled.

"So, that's it, Trevor." The woman told him, "He either got it, or he didn't. We just have to wait."

"Look, it's not too late. We can just leave them here. We don't have to go through with this." Trevor said quickly, the sheer panic in his voice was undisguised.

"I'm sick of running." She emphasized each word slowly, Josie could tell that they'd had this argument before.

"Yeah? Well, running keeps us from dying." He stated in a matter-of-a-fact manner.

"Elijah is old school. If he accepts our deal, we're free." The female placated her friend.

It was then that Elena took a step forward, and they both froze, hearing the floor beneath her foot emit a loud creak.

"You!" The woman snapped at them, striding briskly across the room until she stood directly before the two girls.

"There's nothing around here for miles. If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong. Understand?" She whispered, menacingly.

"Who's Elijah?" Elena asked.

"Elena!" Josie warned her friend, begging that she stopped her questioning of their kidnappers before they hurt her again.

"He's your worst nightmare." She told them factually, before turning on her heel and walking away.

Elena followed, Josie sticking close to her side, frightened and confused by their situation and her friend's lack of fear.

"Why are we here?" Elena questioned the woman.

"You keep asking me these questions like I'm gonna answer them." Came the exasperated response.

"Why won't you?" Elena persisted.

"That's another one."

"You got us. Ok? It's not like we can go anywhere. The least you can do is tell me what you want with us." Elena kept at it.

"I personally want nothing. I'm just a delivery service."

Josie finally spoke up, "Delivery to who? Elijah?" She questioned softly.

"Ah heh. Two points to the eavesdroppers." The woman agreed. "And here I thought you weren't going to speak at all." Her voice was amused.

Elena asked, "Who is he? Is he a vampire?" She dropped all pretenses of why they were there.

"Wait, vampires? Are you serious?" Josie looked at the other's somber expressions. "Okay, vampires are real. Anything else?"

"That's it, no freak out?" The woman raised her eyebrows at Josie's calm acceptance of the existence of vampires. When her question produced no response, she went back to her and Elena's conversation, answering Elena's question from before, "He's one of the vampires, the Originals."

Elena furrowed her brows, "What do you mean the Originals?"

"Again with the questions. Haven't the Salvatores been teaching you your vampire history?"

Josie suddenly interjected, "Salvatores? What do they have to do with vampires?"

"They're vampires." Elena told her distractedly. "So, you know Stefan and Damon." She asked the vampire.

"I know of them. A hundred years back, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones. I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys though, but I digress."

"A hundred years? How old are they? How old are you?" Josie asked animatedly. "If you want to answer, that is." She added as an afterthought, wary of potentially offending her captor.

Ignoring Josie's questions, Elena asked, "Who are the Originals?"

"Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired. We want it over." Josie's expression turned empathetic. "We're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess." The vampire explained.

"But why me?" Elena implored the woman.

"Because you're a Petrova doppelganger. You're the key to breaking the curse."

"Curse?" Josie questioned, confused.

Elena looked thoughtful for a moment, "The sun and the moon curse?"

"Ohh. You do know your history." The vampire confirmed.

"What do you mean, I'm the key? The moonstone is what breaks the curse." Elena told her.

"No. The moonstone is what binds the curse," the woman corrected her, "sacrifice is what breaks it."

"Sacrifice?" Elena queried.

At the same time Josie exclaimed, "Sacrifice?!"

"The blood of the doppelganger. You're the doppelganger. Which means in order to break the curse, you're the one who has to die." The older woman told them, uncaringly. Josie looked at the taller girl, fearful for her, and finally knowing why they had been abducted.

* * *

"Tell me more." Elena continued to badger her female captor for answers.

Just then, Trevor entered the ballroom, "Captivity has made her pushy, eh?" He directed towards his companion. "What do you want to know, doppelicious?"

"Who are you running from?" Elena asked, clearly hoping the male would be more open than his friend.

"The Originals." Trevor answered.

"Yeah, she said that. What does that mean?" She pushed.

"The first family, the old world. Rose and I pissed 'em off." At this, the female, Rose, deliberately and audibly cleared her throat. Immediately, he amended his statement, "Correction-I pissed them off. Rose had my back. And for over half a millennium, they've wanted us dead."

"What did you do?" Was all Elena could think to ask.

Rose's voice was irritated now, "He made the same mistake countless others did. He trusted Katerina Petrova."

Elena's voice was sympathetic, "Katherine."

"The one and only—the first Petrova doppelganger." Rose said, spite coating her every syllable.

Trevor added on to his friend's response, "I helped her escape her fate. And now I've—sorry, we've—been marked ever since."

"Which is why we're not going to make the same mistake again." Rose told them, ominously.

The two then left Elena and Josie with more questions than they'd had prior to their conversation.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I will. This chapter was originally going to span the whole episode, but it got too long, so I made it two chapters. Lately I've been really busy with school and sports. Sorry about any mistakes we may have missed, if you point them out to me I'll try to fix them.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to all those who have read, favorited, and/or followed the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **, only any unrecognizable plot and OC's.**

 **Third Person POV** (Unless otherwise specified)

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

After Rose and Trevor left the room, Elena had filled her friend in on everything that had happened since Stefan and Damon had returned to Mystic falls.

***Flashback***

" _So, all of these animal attacks reported on the news, they were all Damon?" Was one of Josie's first questions during Elena's explanation._

" _Yes, mostly, some of them were other rogue vampires in town." Elena told her. She then took a deep breath before resuming, "And after Damon stopped attacking people, he told me that he had bitten you. He described your blood as the most delectable blood he has had in his entire life as a vampire. He wanted to know why that was, so he compelled you to tell him. However, after realizing you knew nothing, Damon healed you and had you forget meeting him."_

 _She was quiet for a moment trying to process the fact that she almost died at the hands of someone she now considered to be a friend, and everyone knew but her. "Does everyone know? You said Stefan, Damon, and Caroline are vampires, Bonnie is a witch, and Jeremy was dating a vampire. Who else?" Josie asked her friend desperately._

" _Matt and Jenna don't know. But Alaric-sorry, Mr. Saltzman-does, he is a semi-retired vampire hunter. Tyler also doesn't know about vampires, but his family possesses the werewolf gene. That's actually the real reason his dad was caught in the fire and Tyler crashed his car when the Gilbert device went off."_

" _Oh my God, Tyler." Her heart was breaking for her best friend, who was really more of an overprotective big brother. "So Tyler is a werewolf too?" Concern apparent in her voice. "Not unless he activates the curse by killing someone. Mason is a wolf, or he was, before Damon killed him."_

 _Josie was shocked at that. Mason had always been like her uncle as well. Whenever she would go over to the Lockwood's when she and Tyler were younger, Mason always babysat them. She could remember with stunning clarity how he would take them to the waterhole and go exploring on the property during the summertime. Just thinking about him being dead filled her with grief, and sadness for Tyler, who had just lost his father, and now Mason too._

 _Then something occurred to her, "Tyler crashed his car because of this device. He thought he was going crazy hearing this sound out of nowhere, the guilt had been eating at him. The poor thing!"_

 _Josie didn't know what to think. On the one hand, her friends were lying to her, and she'd felt a bit excluded. But, on the other hand, she understood that this secret was need to know and there was no need for her to know, until now._

 _However, now that she was a part of it, she would have to keep the secret too, from everyone, including Tyler. She didn't know if she would be able to keep this from him (she was a horrible liar, especially to Tyler), and she and Tyler told each other almost everything._

" _I'm sorry about lying, I was just trying to keep you safe." Elena apologized sincerely._

" _I get it Elena, I really do. It's just—it's just a lot to take in at once. Like yesterday, my biggest worry was organizing the historical society tea party, and now I'm learning that Mason is dead and all of my friends are supernatural in some way. Which is totally okay with me, I wasn't being…" she inhaled a deep, cleansing breath, staring beseechingly at Elena. "What I mean, is I'll need time to adjust, and will probably freak out a little later, you'll just have to be patient with me."_

***End Flashback***

Josie was sitting across from Elena on the couch, thinking of all the information she had learned earlier, when Elena suddenly shifted in her seat, causing a paper to crumple.

The brunette pulled out a piece of paper, sure that it hadn't been there before. Confused, she opened the note, looking hopeful, she showed Josie the message,

 _Stefan and Damon_

 _are coming for you._

— _B_

Josie smiled at her friend, as Elena crumpled the paper in her hand, knowing that help was on the way.

* * *

The girls watched as Rose moved around picking up the items that they wanted to take with them, when Trevor came running frantically into the room.

"He's here. This was a mistake." Trevor exclaimed in a panic.

Rose was quick to reassure her friend, "No, I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me."

"NO! He wants me dead, Rose!" He yelled hysterically.

"He wants her more."

Frenzied, he responded, "I can't do this. You give them to him, he'll have mercy on you, but I need to get out of here."

Rose clasped both his hands in hers, "Hey, what are we?" she asked him calmly.

He took a couple of deep breaths, "We're family. Forever."

Josie had to look away and wipe at the tears she didn't know had formed there during their interaction.

Josie was just looking up again, when she heard loud and deliberate knocking echo throughout the large house.

"You're scared." Elena realized, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

"Stay here with them and don't make a sound." Rose instructed him, before running up the stairs and out of the room.

* * *

Rose watched cautiously from the shadows as the old wooden door slowly creaked open, spilling sunlight into the darkened house, and finally revealing the figure they had been dreadfully anticipating.

Richly dressed in a dark suit and tie, Elijah stood imposingly in the doorway of the decrepit house. His dark hair was shorter than she had last seen it, in a sweeping-yet attractive-style, but his face retained its timelessly handsome look, with piercing dark eyes and a strong angular jawline.

His eyes scanned the house casually, but with deadly intent that Rose knew was an acquired trait when you've lived as long as they have, as he stepped into their temporary home.

"Rose-Marie." He greeted her professionally. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"Yes. In here. You h-have to forgive the house." She forced out fearfully.

"Oh, no. What's a little dirt? I completely understand." His tone was genial as he walked further into the house. "What is it that gives you the courage to call me?" Elijah tells her with an amused expression, the threat clear in his tone.

"I wanted my freedom. I'm tired of running. You in a position to grant me that?"

Still looking at the room, "I have complete authority to grant pardon to you and your little pet. What is his name these days? Trevor. If I so see fit." He articulates.

"Katerina Petrova?" She offered hesitantly. Elijah at last turned to face her, indicating that she had his attention.

"I'm listening."

Relieved at having his attention, Rose helpfully told him, "She didn't burn in the Church in 1864."

He sat down gracefully, "Continue."

"She survived." She rushed out.

Elijah blinked, "Where is she?"

"You don't seem surprised by this." Rose stated, visibly deflating.

"Oh, when you called and invited me to this armpit of civilization, which is a mere three hours from the town we know as Mystic Falls, I surmised it had everything to do with Katerina." He explained. "Do you have her in your possession?"

"No," she walked further, "I have better. I have her doppelganger."

"That's impossible. Her family line ended with her. I know that for a fact."

"The facts are wrong." She informed him.

He stood, "Well, show her to me."

"Elijah, you're a man of honor. You're to be trusted, but I want to hear you say it again." Rose implored, her eyes showing the desperation she feels inside.

"You have my word that I will pardon you." He vowed carefully.

She searched his face, before saying, "Follow me."

* * *

Josie stood to the side, looking on as Elena paced nervously, awaiting Rose's return.

Hearing footsteps, Elena turned to the doorway. Josie moving until she was right next to her, had taken her hand and squeezed fearfully.

The man that walked in was handsome. In Josie's opinion, he was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. She then berated herself internally for ogling this man who had unknown intentions for her friend.

In a blink he was in front of the girls.

Elena pulled Josie in close until the petite girl was tucked under her arm protectively.

The man, Elena assumed was Elijah, leaned in as if to kiss her. But at the last second, he turned his face to her neck and sniffed delicately.

"Human. It's impossible." His voice had a European accent that could almost be considered British. He smirked down at her, "Hello there." Elijah then looked over, as an enticing scent drifted through his nostrils. For the first time seeing a smaller girl watching him warily from her spot at the doppelgangers side, "Now, who might you be?"

Josie stared at him for a moment, incredulous. She wondered what this man was thinking when he looked at her, he didn't ask for Elena's name, only hers.

She then realized that he actually wanted an answer from her, "Josephine. My name is Josephine Rogers." Came her shy answer.

Elijah looked at the girl, feeling a surge of pity for the clearly terrified girl who got dumped into the supernatural. He briefly wondered where they got the girls, seeing her petite form framed with a dirty, yet elegant, dark green dress that dragged on the floor slightly due to her diminutive stature. Her wild curls were pulled back into a low ponytail and he could see, as well as smell, the dried blood coating her temple on her right side.

But what really caught his attention were her eyes. An emerald coloring so beautiful it was almost unnatural, and he knew that she had no clue how unique she really was.

Rose spoke up for the uncomfortable girl, "She was with the doppelganger when we got her."

"Well, we have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going." Elijah told the two girls.

Elena looked more scared than Josie had ever seen her. She squeezed her arm comfortingly as Elena begged Rose and Trevor, "Please, don't let him take us."

Rose looked away guiltily at her statement, her vampire hearing picking up the almost unnoticeable hitch in Josie's breathing when she heard her friend's terror.

Elijah watched knowingly as the girl attempted to comfort her friend, and looked lost when she was unsuccessful.

"One last piece of business. Then we're done." Elijah finally tore his gaze from the girl, Josephine, he reminded himself.

Trevor spoke for the first time "I've waited so long for this day, Elijah. I'm truly very sorry."

Elijah's face was unreadable, "Oh, no. Your apology's not necessary." His tone was light.

"Yes. Yes, it is. You trusted me with Katerina… and I failed you." Trevor's voice was steady, almost appearing calm, though Josie knew he was anything but.

Elijah circled him like a predator stalking his prey, "Oh, yes, you are the guilty one, and Rose aided you because she was loyal to you. That, I honor." He came to a stop in front of Trevor. "Where was your loyalty?"

Trevor could say nothing except, "I beg your forgiveness."

"So granted."

At Elijah's words, Josie had let out a sigh of relief. Her sigh quickly turned to a cry of horror, echoed by Rose and Elena, as Trevor's head went sailing to the floor, his body dropping after. Her concussed brain took a second to process that Elijah too had moved, and it was his lightning fast motion that beheaded the other vampire.

Rose stumbled, "You—"

Elijah was quick to interrupt her. "Don't, Rose… now that you are free." His voice had something akin to guilt as he addressed the crying woman.

Josie wanted to comfort Rose, but her limbs refused to move from the position they had locked themselves' in as her eyes remained glued to the head lying across the room. Something in her cried out in agony as she looked at the corpse.

"Come." He commanded to Elena and Josie, who had finally torn her eyes away from the gruesome sight.

"No, what about the moonstone?" Elena rushed out, seeing her window of escape beginning to close.

"Elena?" Josie questioned her, wondering what her friend was trying to accomplish.

"What do you know about the moonstone?" He stared at her impassively.

She stuttered out, "I know that you need it, and I know where it is."

"Yes." He confirmed her statement.

"I can help you get it."

"Tell me where it is." He ordered the doppelganger.

"It doesn't work that way." She retorted.

Elijah looked truly amused for the first time, "Are you negotiating with me?"

He looked back towards Rose.

"It's the first I've heard of it." She spat out venomously.

He looked at Elena for a moment before finally asking, "What is this vervain doing around your neck?"

Josie rushed forward as he ripped off Elena's necklace and grabbed her hair. He wrapped an arm around her middle with ease, effectively securing her against him in a gentle, yet iron strong grip.

"Tell me where the moonstone is." His smooth voice was hypnotic.

Elena's voice was monotone in comparison when she replied, "In the tomb underneath the Church ruins."

"What is it doing there?" he continued his interrogation.

"It's with Katherine."

"Interesting."

He looked like was going to continue the questioning when the sound of shattering glass broke his reverie.

"What is that?" he asked no one in particular.

"I don't know." Rose told him.

This time it was directed towards Rose, "Who else is in this house?"

"I don't know." She repeated urgently.

Elijah grabbed Elena's arm, and with the other arm still wrapped around Josie's middle, picked her up off the ground so that he was carrying her like she was a misbehaving child. He ignored her kicking and indignant shout of "Hey!"

"Move!" he ordered Rose and Elena.

In the foyer, Elijah stopped. And a sudden gust of air whooshed to their left. He put Josie down and pushed the girls over to Rose.

"Rose." He warned her, his voice dangerous.

"I don't know who it is." She told him honestly.

Elena sighed when after another pass of air, she heard Stefan say, "Up here."

Elijah vampire sped to the stairs.

Damon's voice was taunting, "Down here."

Elijah pitched to the side as a stake was embedded through his hand. Pulling it out, he looked up to see the girls gone. He threw the stake to the side where it clattered onto the floor.

Meanwhile, Josie was irritated to find that once again, she had been picked up and carried around like a ragdoll. This time by Damon Salvatore. As he held her, he simultaneously pressed Rose to the wall.

"Excuse me." Elijah called, "to whom it may concern, you're making a grave mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't."

Josie felt more than seen, Damon glare intently at Rose as if daring her to make a sound.

"You hear that? I repeat—" there was the sound of wood crunching, "You cannot beat me. So I want the girl on the count of three, or heads will roll." A large snap of wood was heard. "Do we understand each other?" Elijah intoned dangerously.

Suddenly Elena walked out, "I'll come with you. Just please don't hurt my friends. They just wanted to help me out."

Elena flinched as the vampire rushed up the stairs, still carrying the giant makeshift stake.

"What game are you playing with me?"

Elena threw the vervain grenade she had been concealing at him, ducking to the side as it exploded in his face.

The vampire screamed as his face was burned with the herb. He growled as he looked up at her, his face quickly healing from the burns. He shook his head at her as he climbed the stairs, his gait predatory.

Stefan suddenly rushed out with a sawed off shotgun filled with wooden bullets, backing up as Elijah took the shots and kept stalking up the stairs angrily. When it looked like he wasn't going to be stopped, Stefan finally resorted to bodily tackling Elijah down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Elijah quickly stood as Stefan laid on the floor recovering from the landing.

Elijah walked forward, intent on ripping out his heart. Just then, Damon rushed out, carrying the coat rack Elijah had fashioned into a stake. Without hesitation, Damon jammed it into the Original's heart, pushing until the stake was embedded into the door, and he desiccated.

Rose came out of hiding with Josie close on her heels, and upon seeing Elijah's dead body, she rushed from the house.

As Damon made to follow, Elena called out, "Just let her go."

Elena then rapidly descended the stairs and barreled into Stefan's waiting arms, "Hey, come here. Are you hurt? You ok?" He coaxed her gently.

Looking over Stefan's shoulder at Damon, she mouthed, 'Thank you.' To which he silently mouthed back, 'You're welcome.'

She turned away from Elijah's dead body, unable to tear her eyes away from the dark veins and grey pallor of death that encased his body.

Catching sight of Damon's heartbroken expression as Elena hugged Stefan, Josie walked up next to him and took his hand giving it a brief squeeze of thanks before letting go.

* * *

During the car ride home, Damon looked in the rear view mirror at the tiny girl sitting quietly in the backseat. He was concerned, not that he would admit it, about his once victim. Never had he seen the petite red-head so subdued, usually she was bursting with happiness for what seemed to be no reason at all.

"You alright back there?" Stefan too had picked up on Josie's melancholy demeanor.

She looked up at him, "Yeah, I'm good." She told him. At his disbelieving expression she added, "It's a lot to take in at once."

She didn't want to discuss the fact that Damon had killed her best friend's uncle and that he had once tried to kill her too.

Elena face was sympathetic, "I get that."

Josie looked at the brothers, "So… how old are you anyway?" the curiosity filling her voice with excitement.

Stefan laughed, relieved at the return of her bubbliness. And he answered her question good naturedly, "We were turned in 1864."

Josie's eyebrows rose, she turned to Elena and told her, "You're totally dating an old man, by the way." Causing everyone to laugh at her quick-witted retort.

Only Damon saw that she wasn't as okay as she seemed, and it made him wonder what she was really like under all the smiles.

* * *

Josie walked into her house, her head reeling from everything that had happened in the last day.

After he dropped off Elena and Stefan at Elena's, Damon healed Josie's head injury as an apology for attacking her. She had easily accepted at his somewhat remorseful expression, she got the feeling Damon didn't apologize often.

She saw her phone sitting on the counter where she had left it and checked her messages, finding three missed calls from Mrs. Lockwood, a call from Matt about work, and two calls as well as several texts from Tyler.

Ty: Where are you today? My mom is looking for you.

Ty: Why didn't you go to school?

Ty: You missed your shift at the grill, Matt's worried.

She quickly typed something out to reassure him, feeling guilty for lying about everything, saying that she was sick today and Elena had spent the day taking care of her (the story they came up with to explain their absences from school and work today).

Afterwards, she climbed up the stairs, showered and put on an old t-shirt of Tyler's that she had borrowed (and had no plans of returning—men's clothes were so much comfier). Then she finally was able to fall into bed, and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Tyler had been talking to Caroline and after he admitted to being scared about the upcoming full moon, Caroline hugged him.

He finally pulled away when his phone buzzed in his pocket signaling he had a message. Opening it, he was relieved to see it was Josie.

Jo-Jo: Hey sorry about not answering, I was really sick so Elena volunteered to watch me today. I'll talk to your mom tomorrow. And I'll call Matt. Love you!

He read the text, feeling guilty that he had to lie to her about what he and Caroline were.

* * *

In the old abandoned house 300 miles away, a figure lurched into consciousness.

The man looked down, pulling out the stake the baby vampire had shoved into his chest. He let it fall to the floor, the sound it made was deafening in the silence of the house.

Elijah exhaled, the faces of the girls burned into his mind. The human doppelganger and Josephine, the girl with eyes the color of the brightest emeralds, a color he hadn't seen in many centuries.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you liked the second chapter. I'm not sure if I'll update this quickly again, I'm aiming for once or twice a week. Suggestions are always welcome, I may not put it in, but I'll at least consider it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I love the response I've been getting with this story, it's only been a couple days and so many people have read, liked, followed, or reviewed. I've gone back through and fixed a couple mistakes I noticed in chapters one and two, so sorry for any confusion.**

 **Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **, only any unrecognizable plot and OC's.**

 **Third Person POV** (Unless otherwise specified)

 **Chapter Three**

* * *

Josie woke up the next day to her alarm, convinced that everything that had happened the previous day was just a dream. That she was kidnapped, that vampires, werewolves and witches were real, and that she had seen two people being killed. It was all just an intense dream she rationalized to herself.

Her hope of it all just being a dream was quickly ended though when she saw her blood and dirt stained dress hanging over the desk chair in the corner of the room.

Not sparing it a second look, she hurried to get ready. She hoped to make it to the Lockwood's before school to talk to Mrs. Lockwood about the Historical Society and all the other town functions that are hosted every year. And to apologize for not showing up yesterday, she thought contritely.

* * *

Josie opted to walk to the Lockwood's, seeing as she lived only a couple miles away. Additionally, the weather was rather warm. She was greeted affectionately by Carol at the door.

"Josie! I was so worried about you, sweetheart. Tyler said you were sick yesterday." She exclaimed, as she pulled the young girl into a tight hug.

Pulling away reluctantly, she offered the least harmful lie her mind could conjure, "Sorry about not calling, Mrs. Lockwood. I completely forgot about the meeting until last night." Josie felt awful about her deceit, the feeling only intensified at how readily Mrs. Lockwood believed it.

"That's alright. I just got off the phone with an author that'll be coming to Mystic Falls in the next couple of days, and I thought maybe he could be the guest of honor at the party. So I would have had to call you over again anyways." The mayor rushed to placate her.

"An author?" Josie's voice was curious, not many authors came to little towns like Mystic Falls.

"Yes, Mr. Smith is a historian as well, and he's interested in the history of small towns in Virginia. I was going to have Miss Sommers show him around with Miranda's papers, but maybe you'd like to host him while he's here? I've been so busy lately." Mrs. Lockwood asked hopefully, "Mr. Saltzman and Tyler have sang your praises about history class, so I thought maybe you would have an interest in talking with him."

Josie's face glowed with excitement, it was a well-known fact amongst the older generations of the town that Josie was a complete history nut. "I would love to host him. Should I ask Jenna if I can borrow some of Miranda's notes?"

Mrs. Lockwood beamed at her, relieved that she had someone else to show around the author during his stay, "Yes, that would be perfect. I'll send you the information on when the author will arrive and what he'll be looking for later. Okay?"

"Okay. Well, I've got to go Mrs. Lockwood. This is only my first stop of the day." She told the Mayor.

She completely missed Tyler staring at her from the stairs, yellow eyes gleaming and werewolf instincts driving him crazy.

* * *

Josie knocked on the door of the Boarding House, jumping when Damon flung the door open not even a second later.

"Ah, Jelly-Bean. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asked sarcastically.

She lifted a delicate eyebrow at the nickname, "Jelly-Bean?" curiosity saturating her voice.

"Yeah, you know? All sugary sweet, tiny, and delicious." he told her mockingly.

She glared at him playfully. And answered his previous question, "Elena called me, is she here still?"

"Just missed her." he said, faux sympathy coating his tone. "Although… while you're here you might as well come with us?"

"Go with you where?" she questioned him. "Damon, I have school today."

"Skip it." came the dry retort as he pulled her to the garage, where Rose was waiting by the car, sporting a slightly sheepish expression at the sight of Josie being dragged along by Damon.

"You're just lucky I don't have work today." she grumbled.

* * *

On the way to Slater's (Rose's friend who gave her the tip about Elena's existence), Damon and Rose filled her in on everything that they told Elena that morning.

"You mean that the oldest vampire in history, is coming after Elena?" She clarified wondrously.

"Pretty much." Rose informed her, speaking over Damon's denial.

Just then, Rose turned off into a covered parking garage. "Back entrance. How convenient." Damon remarked sardonically to Rose.

"That's the point. We can't all have little daylight rings." Rose quipped back to him in the same tone of voice.

"How do you know this Slater guy's even here?"

Rose started towards the door, "I called him. He's here. He's always here."

"Good. Just one thing." Damon pushed her against the wall.

"Damon!" Josie exclaimed, shocked, "What are you doing?"

"Relax Jelly-Bean," he turned back to Rose, "If you are setting us up in any way, I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. It's something I'm very good at."

Faster than Josie could blink, Rose grabbed Damon's arm and pushed him face first against the car. "I'm older than you, and stronger. Don't get on my bad side." she released him, "You can trust me."

The trio walked into the surprisingly sunny cafe. "Woah. What about the, uh…" Josie looked around a bit before whispering, "Sunlight?"

"Yeah?" Damon agreed with her.

"Double-paned and tempered. UV rays can't penetrate. You see the appeal now?"

"Hmm. That and the free Wi-Fi." An unknown male voice added on to Rose's statement.

Rose pulled him in for a hug, "Hey. How are you?"

"Hey." he responded. "Good. I saw you come. What are you doin' here?"

"Mmm, it's a long story, but I want you to meet-"

He looked kinda shocked, "Damon Salvatore. Turned 1864, Mystic Falls, by Katherine Pierce, AKA Katerina Petrova." Damon looked disturbed by the other vampire's knowledge of him. "So I take it I was right. What I told you about the tomb under the Church is true?"

"Yes." Rose acquiesced, gratefully, "It was right. Thank you for the tip." She tugged Josie forward by the arm, "And this is Josephine Rogers."

Who, for her part, only gave a little wave for greeting, "Call me Josie." she smiled at him warmly.

Slater returned the smile, "Yeah. It's nice to meet you." He held his hand out for Damon to shake, Damon took it with a strange look in Rose's direction. "Maybe. What's goin' on, Rose? Where's, uh, Trevor?"

Josie took Rose's hand and held it in a comforting manner. Rose was astonished that this girl was so genuine in her comforting, even after she had kidnapped her.

* * *

While everyone ordered drinks, they told him everything that had happened since Rose and Trevor had kidnapped Elena and Josie.

"And you're sure that Elijah's dead?" He clarified.

"Beyond dead." Damon drawled mockingly.

"Trevor was a good man, helped me with my dissertation on sexual deviance in the Baroque period. I was going for my psych PhD." Slater sat down as he spoke.

"Slater has been in college since '74." Rose informed Damon and Josie.

He smiled in agreement, "When I was turned. I have 18 degrees-three Master's, and four PhDs."

"The point?" Damon's voice oozed apathy.

Josie smacked his arm lightly in reprimandation, "Damon." She scolded.

"Exactly. I mean, what is the point? What should I be doing with my eternity? If you have an answer, please enlighten me." Slater countered at Damon unemotionally.

"We need your help." Rose was quick to defuse the tension, "If someone wanted to get in touch with Klaus, how would you hook 'em up?"

"Craigslist." He told them matter of fact.

Josie's eyebrows climbed up her forehead, "Really?" she asked in amused disbelief.

"Seriously." he confirmed. "I respond to a personal ad that gets sent to somebody who knows somebody who knows Elijah, who's dead, and that's where my connection ends." he told them businesslike.

* * *

The three vampires and the human girl sat near the window of the cafe, unaware of the danger lurking across the street.

Elijah approached the street musician, crouching, he traded a crisp hundred dollar bill for a handful of coins. Standing, he moved so his targets were clearly visible. He let slide the coins between his fingers to his other hand as he waited, listening to the quartet converse.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the tomb, Elena and Katherine were having a discussion about Klaus and how Katherine turned.

"So how much of your little story is true?" Elena asked her ancestor skeptically.

"I have no reason to lie, Elena." Katherine's tone was bored. "I have no reason to do anything but sit here and read and rot."

Elena paced the tomb entrance, "Ok, so you mean it's even partially true. That's the reason you came back, isn't it? Because you wanted to be the one to hand me over to Klaus."

Katherine closed the book and dropped it on the ground, "Mm, 500 years on the run," she stood up, "I figured maybe he'd be willing to strike a deal."

"So you got Mason Lockwood to find you the moonstone."

"Right again." the vampire nodded.

"What else is needed to break the curse?" Elena pressed for more information.

Katherine hummed, "Mmm. Look who's getting smarter."

"It's not just me or the stone, is it? Otherwise, there would be no reason to trigger Tyler Lockwood's werewolf curse." Elena realized.

"Witches and their spells-so many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice." The older woman confirmed.

"So you need a werewolf."

"Believe it or not, they're hard to come by." Katherine informed her.

Elena continued her train of thought, "What else?"

"A witch to do the spell. Mine bailed, but little Bonnie'll do just fine."

"What else?" Elena asked again.

"Vampire."

"Caroline." Elena realized.

"Could have been anyone, I suppose, but I the poetry of Caroline." Katherine whispered to her.

Elena couldn't keep the disbelief from her voice, "So you were gonna just hand us all over to be killed?"

"Better you die than I." As she backed further into the tomb she told her, "And I suppose I forgot to mention the little extra gift I was going to give him. After all your pretty little friend is a rare commodity in the supernatural world. What was her name again? Josie" She drawled out the name.

"What do you mean 'rare commodity'? What is she?" Elena pressed desperately. Katherine just chuckled before disappearing into the dark of the tomb.

* * *

"Here's what I don't get. Elijah moved around during the day, which means the original people knew the secret of the day ring. Now, why would Klaus want to lift the Curse of the Sun and the Moon?" Damon asked Slater, purposely.

Slater, as if speaking with a child, answered him slowly, "To keep the werewolves from lifting it. If a vampire breaks the Sun Curse, then the werewolves are stuck with the Curse of the Moon forever, and vice versa."

Rose spoke up then, "But werewolves are all but extinct."

"True." Slater conceded. "I've never seen one, but rumor has it-"

Damon interrupted him, "Not such a rumor."

At the same time Josie confessed to him, "My best friend is one." thinking about what she had heard about Sarah being accidently killed by Tyler from Caroline.

"Mystic Falls? God, I've got to visit this place. It sounds awesome." Slater gushed excitedly.

"Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it." Damon indulged him. "Can we stop the Curse from being broken at all?"

Slater sounded confused when he replied, "Well, what do you mean?"

"Well, if we rendered the moonstone useless and stopped the Curse from being broken." Damon picked the younger male's brain.

"Well, yeah, probably, but why would you wanna do that?" Slater inquired.

Damon smirked, "Tell me how." he demanded.

Slater's voice was skeptical, "You think I'm going to help you figure out how to do something that will piss off an Original? And keep me from walking in the sun?"

Josie, seeing something out of the corner of her eye, suddenly looked up. Her mouth fell open in astonishment and a little fear at the sight of a familiar figure in a suit staring straight at her.

Elijah made a hand gesture to get down, "Uhh… Damon." her voice trembling.

"You wanna walk in the sun? I can make that happen, if you help us." Damon incentivized.

"Damon!" she exclaimed as Elijah did the gesture again, "Duck!" she yelled out in alarm. Just as Elijah flicked his wrist sending whatever he was holding crashing into the windows, causing them to explode in a shower of glass and sunlight.

* * *

The Original watched from his place on the sidewalk as the four spoke of the Curse, moonstone, himself, and Klaus.

His eyes were critical as he took in the sight of the vampire who had 'killed' him to save the doppelganger and Miss Rogers. The dark haired male was the cocky 'true vampire' sort, the ones who embraced their immortality. But Elijah could see he was softer than he appeared when he gazed at the petite red-head.

He was surprised as she looked up suddenly _right at him_ , her face registered shock and a tad bit of fright as she saw him.

Elijah made a downward swoop with his hand silently telling her to get down.

"Uhh… Damon." her bell-like voice wobbled as she said her companion's name.

He motioned for her to get down again, internally begging that she heeded the warning for what it was.

The blue eyed vampire spoke then, "You wanna walk in the sun? I can make that happen, if you help us."

"Damon! Duck!"

He threw the coins as soon as he saw her start to get down under the table and out of the line of fire.

* * *

Damon turned as Josie yelled for him to duck, watching as she threw herself under the table right in time for the protective glass windows to blow inwards.

Rose and Slater screamed in pain as the full force of the sunlight hit their skin, burning them instantly. And Josie cried out as glass embedded itself in the fragile skin of her arms as she covered her face and neck.

He looked outside trying to find the culprit, seeing they were long gone, he turned back. Damon noticed that Slater had left, so he covered a writhing Rose with her jacket and carried her out to the car. Josie followed him, her fingers knotted in the back of his jacket so as not to get separated on the way to the car.

He sat Rose in the backseat, "You're going to be okay." he told her firmly.

"I know." she reassured them.

Since she was so sure Damon drilled, "Who's behind that?"

"I don't know. Where is Slater?" Concern for her friend was tangible

"Iowa by now. Who the hell knows." he spat.

"He's not behind this, he's a good guy, he wouldn't betray me." She cried out earnestly.

"Who did it?" he pressed again.

Rose let out a desperate sob, "It's Klaus, don't you understand? You don't know this man, we're dead, we're all dead." she was now fully sobbing into his shirt.

"Josie, who was behind that? You tried to warn us, what did you see?"

Her eyes were the wide as nickels, "I saw Elijah."

* * *

Stefan followed Elena up the steps of her porch after bringing her home from the tomb.

"Elena." Stefan addressed his girlfriend.

"I can't talk about it, Stefan."

"You have to. Don't shut me out." he pleaded quietly. "Elena, please."

Elena turned to him with tears in her eyes, "I wanted to know the truth, Stefan, and I got it. It's not just me that's in danger." she took an unsteady breath, "I-It's Caroline, and it's Tyler, and it's Bonnie. They're all key components of breaking the curse. And even Josie is in danger from _him_ , because she's somehow supernatural too. I can't blame anyone else anymore, because it's not because you came into town or because you and I fell in love." She let out a sob, "That's not why everyone that I love is in danger. It's because of me. Everything is because of me."

Stefan pulled her close and held her tight trying to comfort her as she sobbed.

* * *

Damon pulled up to Josie's house, walking with her to the door.

"How're the arms, Jelly-Bean?" his usually arrogant voice was concerned. Especially after she claimed that she had seen a supposedly dead guy across the street today.

She pulled off her jacket to see and wiped the spots of dried blood away. She gasped, taking in the sight of what should have been barely healed cuts and scrapes, looking like they were days if not weeks old. "Damon…?" Josie trailed off nervously.

He grabbed her wrists in a gentle grip and turned her arms every way. "That's not possible. Only vampires and werewolves heal this fast."

"I'm not a vampire, and I don't think I'm a werewolf." She told him honestly, but unsurely.

Damon stared hard at her, "I don't think so either." he stated, thinking about the time he had bitten her and remembering how heavenly her blood had tasted on his tongue. "Which begs the question, what are you?"

* * *

At Slater's apartment, Elijah walked out of the shadows after listening to Slater call Rose-Marie about the moonstone.

"Very nicely done." Elijah complimented the younger vampire.

"Thanks. I've a degree in theater," Slater turned to face Elijah, "How can you compel me?" he asked curiously, "A vampire can't compel another vampire."

He shrugged, "I'm a special vampire." he pointed out with a secretive smile.

"What, because you're an Original?"

Elijah only hummed in agreement.

"Now, I want you to take this and drive it through your heart." he compelled.

Slater now looked truly fearful as he grasped the stake, "But that would k-kill me forever."

"I know. But it's necessary." he told Slater. And watched as the baby vampire staked himself.

Another presence now made himself known, "Was it, really?" Dr. Martin asked.

"It had to be done. He delivered his message. Won't be long now." The Original told the Warlock. His mind once again returning to the girls he knew would catch Klaus' attention.

* * *

 **A/N: Ooh, what is she?! She isn't a werewolf or doppelganger for those of you thinking that, but that's all I'm saying for now. And I think we all know who the author coming to Mystic Falls is ;) Josie is in for a surprise when she finally meets "Mr. Smith". Also, am I the only one who noticed how much Damon loves to give people nicknames, I thought Jelly-Bean would totally be something he called someone. As always, feel free to point out any mistakes or inaccuracies you noticed. Please like and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter will be a lot of Tyler-centric. It's not my best chapter, I had a bit of a bloke trying to fit her in to this episode. I would like to thank all the responses this story has gotten, I never would have thought people would like it this much. Hope you like!**

 **Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **, only any unrecognizable plot and OC's.**

 **Third Person POV** (Unless otherwise specified)

 **Chapter Four**

* * *

In the morning Josie was determined not to miss anymore school and to actually get to her shift at the Grill.

Upon arriving at school and seeing Caroline talking with Tyler in front of the basketball hoops, she jogged over.

"Ty!" Josie greeted brightly, throwing herself into his arms, "I feel like it's been forever. How are you?" her voice was concerned, remembering Sarah.

Tyler took a deep breath, his nostrils being filled with her scent and awakening the feeling that he'd only felt when he had killed Sarah. The sensation that something was lurking under the surface of his skin just waiting to come out. He pushed the feeling down.

"You told her?" he nearly growled at Caroline, not as angry as he thought he'd be and more relieved that she still cared for him.

Josie jumped to the defense of the vampire, "Not willingly, I thought you were mad at me and Caroline accidentally let something slip and then I forced it out of her." she rushed out.

"Right…" Tyler drawled, well used to Josie trying to protect those around her from trouble, "I'm sure that's exactly how it happened." Sarcasm apparent.

"Sorry." Caroline told him apologetically, "But she found out about me and I was explaining when I accidentally mentioned you and the... wolf thing. Speaking of which, you realize there's almost a full moon?" She asked him sympathetically.

"Vampires don't have enough problems, you want to take on mine?"

Josie spoke up, "Even if she didn't help, I would."

"Have you even thought about it? The whole… wolf thing?" Caroline questioned him too in response to his comment, "Do you know what you're going to do?"

Tyler looked around nervously, "I have a plan." he reassured the girls.

"Well?" the vampire asked, expectantly.

"It's kinda private." he hedged.

Caroline gave him The Look, the one that said 'you're an idiot'. "I'm student council vice president, head of the Prom committee, not to mention I single-handedly organized this town's cleanup campaign. And you're really going to turn down my help?" she pressed.

* * *

After school the only male of the group led Caroline and Josie through the woods, "Matt's bumming pretty hard." Tyler stated.

The vampiress sounded dejected, "I know. It's better this way."

"I get it."

"You do?" she asked him disbelievingly.

"Yeah. You can't be honest with him. And it's not really fair to be with someone and not really let them know who you are."

Josie got the strangest feeling of being a third-wheel as she watched Caroline speak with Tyler, and hoped that maybe Care could see the real Tyler under the arrogant jock facade he put out in front of everyone else.

Tyler looked at the vampire, "I get it. Right over here. There's a cellar that goes to our old property."

"I know." Caroline told him.

Tyler turned to her confused, "You do?"

"I know that this is the old Lockwood property."

"Huh." was his only response.

Caroline let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief.

Going down the stairs Tyler told the two girls, "Watch your step." Tyler turned on a flashlight walking deeper into the cellar, "I'm guessing this is where Mason was headed the night he turned. It's this way."

"Did Mason tell you about this place?" Josie asked, feeling more than a little apprehensive.

"Mason bolted before I triggered the curse, but I found these." he shined the flashlight beam on to the wall, revealing deep claw marks.

"Woah. They look old." Caroline commented.

"And these bolts and chains. I need new chains, but the bolts could still hold." he reached out, yanking on the bolts, "I think that's what this place was used for. Full moons."

Spotting something, Caroline questioned him, "What's this?" She picked it up, showing a wrapped package.

"I have no idea." Tyler responded, just as confused.

Caroline unwrapped it, showing a journal of some sort, "Was it Mason's?" Josie wondered curiously.

Tyler flipped to the beginning, "'August 31st-My body is changing. I'm edgy, angry, impatient. I get so mad, I black out and forget what I say or do. I'm not myself, not since Jimmy's death. What's happening to me?' He chronicled everything. The full moon is tonight."

"Well, does he say what happened?" Care asked concerned.

Tyler slid a memory chip out of the book page.

At Caroline's house Tyler had put the memory card into his laptop.

 _Mason's voice was heard "It's September 15th-Two hours from the first full moon since I triggered the curse."_

"He taped his first transformation." Tyler stated.

"Umm…" Caroline flipped through the journal, "September 16th, he-he wrote about everything the next day. 'I chose the garage. I could deadbolt the door. It was far from the street so no one could hear. I bolted hooks to the floor for the carabiners.'" she recited confused.

"Like for mountain climbing?" Josie said, confusedly.

"Retractable cables." he informed them knowingly.

 _On screen there was a sound of retching as Mason downed a bottle of fluid._

"What's he doing?" Tyler asked the vampire.

Caroline looked it up, "It's… wolfbane. 'I diluted wolfsbane with water to weaken myself, but I could barely get it down without puking. It felt like I was drinking battery acid.'" Tyler fast-forwarded the tape, "'Over an hour passed. Nothing happened. I got so quiet, I could hear my own blood pumping. That's when…'"

 _Mason grunted and groaned in agony. Throwing a bicycle that was hanging on the wall across the garage. He scrambled around screaming._

Caroline continued to read, "'I kept thinking I'd black out and not feel it. But I did. I… I felt all of it.'"

 _The video camera showed a sweaty Mason on the floor screaming and pleading for help._

"Ho-how long is it?" Josie asked distressed. Sometime during the video, she had crawled over next to Tyler and was practically sat in his lap, tears streaming steadily down her face.

"We're three hours in." Tyler forced out, his voice thick. He fast forwarded, "Four hours. Five hours. How long does this last?" he was on the verge of crying.

 _Mason was still laying on the ground, sobbing and still howled in utter agony._

Tyler's face scrunched up, "I can't-I can't do that." he stood from the couch almost sending Josie flying as he did so, "Caroline, Josie, whatever that was, I can't go through that." the tears had finally spilled over onto his cheeks.

* * *

"You know what. I don't think we should read this anymore." Caroline told them.

Tyler was frantic, "Why, what did you read?"

"There's a… a reason it's called a 'Curse', Tyler" she told him morosely.

"'Unimaginable pain. I thought it would never end. It was the worst night of my life.'" Tyler chuckled sarcastically.

"But… he did say that the transformation speeds up over time. So if you can just get through this first time, then-" Caroline's voice was optimistic.

He interrupted her, "Why are you helping me?"

She was confused, "What do you mean?"

"Why do you care? I can get why Josie is here, she wouldn't leave if I begged her to. But, we've never friends before."

Caroline scoffed, "That's not true. I've known you my entire life, Tyler."

"We've never been close. Not like this." he scoffed right back.

"I don't know. You just seem like you… like you kinda need it." she told him honestly. Sitting down, she continued, "I was alone when I turned. I had no control over my body or… my urges. And… I killed somebody. I don't want that to happen to you. I don't want you to be alone."

Tyler looked shocked, and was about to respond when the doorbell rang.

"I gotta…" she announced unnecessarily, before leaving to see who was at the door.

"Ty…" Josie started, unable to put into words how frightened she was for him, "we'll get through this. I won't leave for a second." she vowed, determinedly.

"I can't think about this… I gotta go." he left the room quickly.

"Wait, Tyler." she rushed after her best friend, "You can't just… Oh, hi Matt." she told the jealous looking blonde. Then she remembered, "Oh shoot, I was supposed to be at my shift 10 minutes ago. I'm lucky I even still have a job. Give me a ride, please Ty?"

"Yeah, sure. Hurry up, don't want to be any later." he told her strolling to his car.

"Bye Care. Bye Matt." she told the couple as she jumped into the passenger seat, narrowly missing hitting her head on the door.

* * *

Josie rushed to change into her Grill work shirt during the drive over. Walking as fast as socially acceptable in a restaurant.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." her face earnest and remorseful.

"It's fine. Just don't make it a habit." her manager, John, scolded lightly.

"I won't." she promised, "So, where do you want me?"

"Bar for now. In a bit, you might have to work the floor as well." he directed.

She tied the barmaid apron around her waist, "Okay." As she walked behind the bar, greeting the regulars she saw on her way.

She was cleaning a glass off and chatting with Alaric about her history homework, and the various supernatural aspects of their lives, when one of the previously mentioned aspects showed up.

"Hey Jelly-Bean, Ric." he greeted. His expression slightly subdued.

She raised a brow in concern, "Bourbon." she guessed. Setting the bottle and another glass in front of him, knowing that between Damon and Alaric the bottle would be near empty by the end of the night.

"I love you, Jelly-Bean." he sighed.

She smirked playfully, "What's not to like?" she told him cheekily. More seriously she asked, "What happened?"

He took a long swig from the glass, "Stefan got himself locked in the tomb with Katherine, because Baby Gilbert was being an idiot, and Stefan had to strap on his 'Hero Hair'. And that's not to mention Elena's suicide mission today, trying to give herself over to Klaus to be sacrificed." his tone was annoyed.

By the end of his tirade Josie was sure she looked like a fish with her mouth hanging open and her eyes bugging out.

"What?!" Alaric choked out, just as shocked.

"Yeah, apparently, she thinks she can save everybody if she gives herself over and is independent."

Josie saw a man and someone who looked to be his son, walk into the Grill and sit at a table in her almost empty section of the restaurant, "Be right back, but this conversation is not over." she told the vampire and her teacher.

Walking up to the father-son duo, "Welcome to the Grill. What can I start you off with today?"

The older man answered, "I'll have a beer and the Grill Burger with fries."

The son, who looked to be about her age ordered a Bacon Burger and a Coke.

"Be right up." she walked to the bar submitting the food orders, then she started on the drinks. As she was setting their drinks down she commented, "You new around town?"

"Yes, just moved." the older male told her, "I'm Doctor Jonas Martin, and this is my son Luka." Dr. Martin introduced.

"Nice to meet you. My names Josephine, but call me Josie, everyone does." she told him, eyes warm, as she shook his hand.

Jonas' eyes widened as he took her hand, feeling why his employer had been so interested in the small girl.

"So, how're you liking the town so far?" she continued, oblivious to the Doctor's blossoming interest in her.

"It's been great so far." Luka answered, "Everybody's really nice."

"That's what happens when you live in a small town, everyone knows everyone else." she confessed to him. "Well, I'll go see how the food is doing." she walked back to the kitchens.

Jonas watched as she came out of the kitchens and stopped by the bar to talk to a couple of men sitting there in low tones, he could feel that one was a vampire and the other a human. As the conversation progressed, he could see she was growing distressed by something the vampire said to her.

She disappeared into the kitchen again, this time she reemerged with a tray carrying their food, "Here you go." she said as she sat down the burgers down in front of their respective owners.

Jonas Martin watched the girl go back to the vampire, a speculative look on his face. Noticing this his son asked, "What is it dad?"

"That girl… there's a reason he has an interest in her." Thinking about the stories he'd heard about the power in their blood and essence.

* * *

Doctor Martin walked into his apartment, closing the door as he went. A shadowy figure was standing looking out the window.

"Where's Luka?" Elijah asked his associate.

Deliberating Jonas answered, "Asleep."

"His shadow spell was successful. I was able to track that girl." he paused, "However, I did have a little run-in with one of the brothers that killed me."

"I assume he didn't live to tell about it." Doctor Martin's voice was unemotional.

"Actually, I spared him. He'd die before he'd let anything happen to her. They both would. She'll be kept safe."

"For now." Jonas reminded him, slightly more emotional speaking of the innocent girl.

"Well, that's precisely what we need her to be." Elijah at last turned to face him, "Safe."

"Today Luka and I were going out to dinner, and we met a girl there. The one you told me was at the house with the doppelganger."

"And…?" Elijah prompted, interested.

"Your suspicion was right. But she's clueless as to how valuable she is and close with the supernatural townspeople."

Elijah hummed in thought, "I believe we have another name to add to our list of those to protect."

* * *

Arriving home, Josie felt physically and emotionally drained. Her day spent with Tyler and Care learning about the werewolf curse from Mason's journals were burned behind her eyelids, to top it off, the Gilberts were apparently both on suicide missions today.

She looked around her empty house. Listening to the sound of deafening silence.

She had been alone in the house for almost two years now. George and Maria Rogers were a couple that were very much in love, high school sweethearts who married young. But her mother had passed away nearly three years before that of breast cancer, and her father had turned to drink. George wasn't mean or abusive, on bad days he would push her a bit if she got in his way or didn't have dinner done right on time. Mostly, he had ignored her existence, until he drank too much one night and on his way home from the bar, crashed his car into a tree.

Checking the fridge for something to eat, she reheated some bacon she had made for breakfast and put it into a sandwich. She was lounging on her porch swing when she heard a whine.

Looking under her feet, Josie spotted a dirty, scrawny puppy. The puppy was obviously underfed, she could easily count his-her?-ribs. Picking off a piece of bacon and turkey, she gave it to the pup, who had eagerly taken the meat from her hand and licked her fingers.

Josie picked the small puppy up, revealing that it was a she. Remembering the vet wasn't open this late, she stood up, bringing the little animal inside with her. They went to the first floor bathroom and she filled up the bottom of the tub. Looking through the cupboards, she found a bottle of baby shampoo from when her mom used to babysit the neighbor kids when they were little.

She watched, thoroughly grossed out, as layers of dirt and mud came swirling off as soon as the puppy came into contact with the water. "Eww. You poor thing. Where did you come from?" she asked rhetorically as she scrubbed the dirt out of her fur. The puppy for her part was loving the attention and loved the feeling of the water running through her hair.

After getting off as much of the dirt and grime as she could, she emptied the tub and refilled it with clean water and started to scrub baby shampoo into her fur. "What should I call you, huh? Everyone needs a name." she spoke, rinsing the puppy off.

Josie plucked the happy puppy out of the tub and held her in a towel. Sitting on the floor she gently patted the fur dry. "Hmm… what about Mia? No, Charlotte, Hazel, uh… Olive? Yeah, Olive. That's perfect." After toweling her off, Josie finally saw that the baby dog had tan and white fur, with wavy haired ears. "I'll have to go to the vet tomorrow to get you checked out, and go to the store for supplies…" she mused out loud to the now sleeping Olive.

Carrying her upstairs, she got out an old quilt and laid it on her bed next to where she slept, setting Olive down, she got herself ready for bed. Turning off the lights, she smiled at the sight of the puppy rolling around the blanket, and laid down to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Some Tyler feels. I feel like there are hardly any fics where the OC is more concerned with Tyler than Elena. And fair warning, there may be some Elena/Salvatore bashing later on, I'm not a huge fan of them sometimes. And ending with some Josie feels AND A PUPPY! As always, like/review/follow.**

 **LadyAnnikki: I do plan for him to have a slightly larger role than normal, but he won't be a huge major character. And I hope you think he's shown in this chapter enough.**

 **NellieWolf123: Thank you for the tip! I'll try to work on it in future chapters. Although writing, grammar, and punctuation have never been my strongest suits.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I've posted chapter one of this story on Archiveofourown if anyone wants to check it out there it's under the same title and username. Wow, over 1000 views.**

 **Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **, only any unrecognizable plot and OC's.**

 **Third Person POV** (Unless otherwise specified)

 **Chapter Five**

* * *

The next morning Josie had gotten up early to take Olive to the veterinarian's office.

"Well," Doctor Jones told her, "she seems to have no ID tags or records, and she's all healthy aside from slight malnutrition, a little behind on vaccinations. And her breed looks to be an English springer spaniel."

"Does that mean I can adopt her?" her tone was hopeful.

"I don't see why not. I think we have a couple of tags and collars around here somewhere."

The receptionist checked them out, the bill wasn't as much as Josie had anticipated, but the vaccinations were still a lot, and then they left.

Going to the store she got some supplies for taking care of a dog. She grabbed a leash and small basket to carry her around in, along with food, dishes, a bed, and toys.

* * *

She had dropped off most of the supplies at home, keeping with her the leash, basket, a bottle of water and a small baggie of food with bowls; she kept it all in her backpack. She was on her way to meet with Tyler and Caroline, when her phone rang, Mrs. Lockwood, "Hello?"

" _Josie dear, are you still able to help host the author?"_ she asked businesslike.

"Of course. Is he here?"

" _He will be by tonight, he says he has a hotel room booked for the night, but he'll check out in the morning. How about you come by and meet him here later today?"_

"Okay. Yeah I can meet him there."

" _Perfect. Goodbye dear."_

"Bye, Mrs. Lockwood." she hung up.

Picking up Olive, who was sleeping soundly in her basket, she started to walk over to the mayor's house to meet the author.

* * *

Josie knocked on the door, waiting for Mrs. Lockwood to answer. When she did she wasn't alone.

"So you'll call me as soon as you hear anything?" the mystery woman asked.

"Of course." Mrs. Lockwood assured.

"Hi, I'm Jules." she introduced herself to Josie, "I'm a friend of Mason's from Florida."

Completely oblivious to the extra attention Jules was paying to her, she introduced herself in turn, "Nice to meet you, my name's Josie."

"Likewise, Josie." Turning back to the Mayor, she exclaimed, "Oh, I didn't get to say goodbye to your son."

"I'm afraid he's at the Grill with his friends. I'll let him know."

"Jules…" Mrs. Lockwood called softly, "let's hope for the best."

"It was nice meeting you, Josie." Jules nodded and walked down the drive to her vehicle.

* * *

In her car, Jules pulled over across the street from the house. She dialed a number going to voicemail, she left a message.

"Hey, I'm here. No one knows where Mason is. He's missing. You were right. Mason was lying. There's another werewolf. His nephew. And something else that you need to see."

* * *

Back at the house, Mrs. Lockwood looked at the puppy not at all surprised that Josie had found and taken in a stray.

"What's her name?" she asked, politely.

"Olive."

"That's sweet." Mrs. Lockwood was not an animal person, but for Josie's sake she'd tolerate the dog, "Now, onto less pleasant business. The author should be here any minute so you can meet, though he'll be staying at a hotel for tonight."

"Okay that's good, I have to meet Tyler after this."

The older woman was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing, "That'll be him."

Josie waited in the sitting room for their return. And was not at all prepared for the sight that awaited her. Josie gasped nearly jumping from shock, her eyes meeting the dark eyes of the man who had killed Trevor and was going to take Elena away.

"Here she is, the girl I was telling you about. Josie, this is Mr. Elijah Smith, Elijah this is Josephine Rogers."

"Hello, call me Elijah." he greeted charmingly, holding out his hand for her to take.

Shaking she lifted her hand into his, "J-Josie." she tried to respond casually, not wanting to put the woman who was like a second mother in danger.

He lifted her hand, brushing his lips to her knuckles in a feather light kiss. "A beautiful name." he responded in that same charismatic tone.

Carol was oblivious to their secret interaction, "Josie is interested in history, and offered to host you during your stay, and to help show you around along with Ms. Sommers."

"Thank you for your generosity."

"A pleasure." she told him, almost insincerely, "I hope you don't mind animals. I recently adopted a puppy, her name is Olive." she picked Olive out of her basket and set her on the floor where she set out to investigate her surroundings. Sneezing lightly after sniffing at Elijah, she gave the hand he held out a wary look before nudging against it happily.

"It'll be no problem at all." he smirked lightly, well aware that she was trying to get out of hosting him.

"Wonderful. Now you wanted to talk about some of the historical landmarks..?" Mrs. Lockwood asked, unknowingly giving Josie the perfect opportunity to leave.

"I have to get going now Mrs. Lockwood, Elijah. Tyler is waiting for me."

"Okay, have fun dear." she told her distractedly.

"I shall see you later, Josephine." Elijah told her right before the door closed on the wide-eyed girl and her dog.

* * *

Josie quickly walked into town, Olive trotting along happily beside her, and occasionally stopping to sniff or bark at something.

She was just outside of the town, when she was swept off her feet, and sped into the woods, with a startled yelp.

"Stop doing that." she exclaimed, annoyed, glaring at the amused vampire.

He was masterfully suppressing laughter at her glare, she truly had no idea how not threatening she was to him.

He was still holding Olive and petting her head, "My apologies," Elijah told the tiny, fuming female, "for more than just the fright. I would also like to apologize for scaring you at the house. And know that I mean your friends no harm."

"All's forgiven." she sighed, hating how bad she was at holding grudges, "But what about Elena?"

"I shall approach her later to make a deal for her protection in exchange for her help."

Josie let out a breath of relief, "Thank you."

He smiled, "You look like you could use a lift." he stated, handing Olive back to her.

"Uh… yeah. I'm meeting Tyler and Caroline at the old Lockwood cellar, after I drop Olive off at Jenna's."

"I believe I can follow his scent. But I caution you not to get too close while he's transforming."

He was more relaxed than he thought he would be at the thought of her being near a wolf on the full moon. He knew the wolf would never hurt her on purpose, and she wasn't old enough for the wolf to feel the mating instinct around her.

"May I?" he gestured to pick her up.

Pouting, she nodded and he lifted her and Olive up, bridal style. And he sped off to where the smell of wolf was the freshest.

He first took her to the latest doppelganger's house, taking care to stay out of sight. When she gave the other girl her dog to watch for the day she told her she didn't the puppy to get hurt.

She walked down to the end of the block, this time slightly less surprised when she was lifted off her feet and whooshed away.

Reaching their destination, Elijah put her down and steadied her, "I shall see you tomorrow, I believe, Josephine."

She smiled warmly, "Goodbye, Elijah."

The Original watched as she walked towards the stair ruins where he could hear the young vampire and werewolf speaking in low tones.

* * *

Josie walked into the cellar to see Tyler walking around pulling on the chains he'd attached to the bolts in the wall.

"Tell me you brought the instruction manual." Caroline commented.

"Tell me you brought the wolfsbane." Tyler shot back.

"Yes. Um, not an easy herb to find. But this is it." she pulled a baggie with a plant in it out of her bag.

Tyler reached out to grab it, "Ah!" he exclaimed in pain as the plant burned him.

"Are you alright, Ty?" Josie reached out grabbing his hand, inspecting the healing burn.

"I have water bottles in my bag. We can mix it in there."

"Ok." Caroline said, unsurely, reaching down and pulling the bottles out of his bag.

As Tyler continued to bolt the chains, "The guy at the hardware store said this setup was rated up to 5,000 pounds."

"Is that more than a werewolf can pull?" Josie questioned warily.

"I have no idea."

"Hey, Tyler. How you doing?" Caroline asked, concerned.

"Still human." he walked over to center of the chains, and started to take his shirt off.

"Oh, my God. You're not going to get naked, are you?" Caroline turned around.

Josie was slightly less uncomfortable than Caroline with Tyler's stripping, due to them always being rather messy as children and were always dumped into the bathtub together. And when you've known someone your whole life, things like taking clothes off barely phases you anymore.

"It's elastic. I mean, what should I wear? I don't think it's like the Hulk where I get to keep my pants."

* * *

The chains rattled as Tyler paced around the cellar, Josie sat next to Caroline off to the side.

"What time is it?" he asked.

Caroline checked her phone, "It's almost 8:00. What time does the moon crest-or whatever?"

"Not for a while. Mason's journal said the first transformation can happen before the moon hits its apex."

Josie spoke up her voice thick, "Does it say how long you'll actually...be a wolf?"

"A few hours. Maybe more. Maybe less." his voice was thick with unshed tears as well. He walked over next to Caroline and Josie, momentarily hindered by the chains, and grabbed the bottle of wolfsbane.

"Are you sure-are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yeah. Mason said it'll diminish my strength...so I can't break free." He breathed deeply before taking a large drink of the herbal water.

"Tyler?" Caroline cautioned.

Tyler sputtered and gagged, his throat, mouth, and stomach burning.

"Oh...Tyler." Caroline rushed forward.

"Don't!"

"Shh…" Josie soothed, running her hands along his back and arms.

"Don't! You don't!" he yelled.

"Hey." Caroline said softly.

He panted for a moment looking up, "I'm sorry."

Josie wrapped herself around him, "It's alright."

Tyler didn't know why, but everywhere she touched was like a balm to his aching body.

* * *

Tyler was panting and choking.

"No. No." he forced out, pulling on the chain around his neck.

"Hey." Care attempted to soothe him. "Tyler. Tyler."

He let out a whimpered scream, "I'm burning up. It burns!"

Josie wrapped her arms around him, "I know. You just gotta breathe through this, ok?"

"I'm trying." he panted, falling to his hands and knees, "You should go."

Caroline and Josie refused, vehemently, shaking their heads.

"You should leave."

"Not yet." Caroline told him.

"Not ever." Josie added. "Tyler. Tyler!"

Josie screamed when Tyler's arm shot behind him, broken. He screamed in unbearable agony.

"It hurts. It hurts. It hurts." he gasped, "It hurts."

Josie sobbed along with him, before hearing a growly voice exclaim, "Free…"

"What?"

"What is it?" Caroline asked her.

"I… didn't you hear it?" Josie looked at her confused, "There was a voice, it said 'Free'."

"There wasn't any voice, Josie."

"Pack… Protect." it growled again. She looked to Caroline and Tyler who looked oblivious to the voice, and couldn't help but think about when she had healed after Richmond.

"I want to help, but I don't know what to do." Caroline spoke at last.

Tyler was breathing hard, "There's… there's nothing you can do."

He grunted as the bones in his back cracked and shifted, then he screamed.

"Tyler…" Josie whimpered, lost as to what she should do.

"Get out!" he snarled.

"No." Caroline refused for the both of them.

"Get out! I don't want to hurt you."

It was Josie who spoke for the girls this time, "No. No."

Josie lunged forward, Care on her heels, as Tyler screamed again. Wrapping herself around him like an octopus, pressing kisses to his sweaty head she heard it again only this time it was only a rumbling purr.

Tyler was sweating and panting, his face contorted in extreme pain.

"It's ok. You fight through it, ok? Sleep." the vampire ordered him.

"Leave." he gasped.

"No." Josie refused, still hearing the growly voice growing louder every second.

"Go! Please!" he pleaded.

"No, not yet."

"Just go."

"We're right here. And we're not going anywhere."

Tyler screamed as his arm broke in a sickening crunch.

He flipped around revealing fangs and golden eyes. He snarled menacingly at Caroline and lunged for Josie grabbing her and pulling her close, ignoring Caroline's scream, the voice growled almost sounding like it was coming from Tyler "Pack. Protect. Mine."

"Ty…" she said slowly, trying to not startle him. Looking into his gold eyes she gasped as she connected the dots, it wasn't Tyler who was holding her… it was the wolf. "Don't move Care. I'll be fine, promise." she warned the vampiress.

"Josie, he could hurt you."

"He won't. I'll be fine, I can feel it." and she could somewhere inside her, she could feel that the wolf wouldn't harm her. "Go Care."

The wolf must have seen Caroline move because he snarled and lunged for her, for her part she barricaded herself behind the gate chaining it unhappy, not wanting to lock Josie in with the feral wolf. Tyler ripped the bolt out of the floor and pressed himself against the bars, snarling threateningly at the sobbing vampire.

"I'm sorry." Caroline directed apologetically at Josie, who was still sitting on the floor where Tyler had put her.

"Go." and Caroline did, running out the door and barricading a screaming Tyler in with Josie. She sobbed and ran out to the woods to wait for the end.

* * *

Josie could only watch as Tyler transformed, his bones cracking and reshaping, fur growing over his skin.

Slowly, Tyler finished the turn, his screams tapering off into growls. At her badly suppressed whimper, the wolf turned towards her.

Tyler-no the Wolf-stalked towards her, walking up to her until his muzzle was right next to her face. She closed her eyes as the Wolf pressed his snout against her neck and laid on her?

Josie opened her eyes seeing the previously snarling wolf laying on her chest and legs like an overgrown puppy. He nuzzled against her calm, the Wolf was practically purring the voice sounded like a broken record, "Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine."

"Okay." his fur was warm, almost too much so, where he laid on her lap.

She shifted trying to move him, only for him to grumble, "No. Stay."

Josie let out a hysterical laugh as she remembered saying the exact same command to Olive this morning as she had tried to steal her breakfast.

"Okay, I'll stay." she moved to get more comfortable, settling in for a long night on the stone floor.

* * *

Caroline peeked around the tree after a couple of hours of silence. She moved slowly towards the cellar, jumping at every little sound.

Listening hard, her vampire hearing picked up the sound of male whimpers and dulcet female tones whispering comfortingly, "Tyler?"

"Caroline." he rasped, tiredly.

"Tyler?!" she exclaimed in monumental relief.

Entering the cellar, she was met with the sight of Tyler laying on the ground on his side, naked, and Josie cradling him to her breast as if he were a newborn, ignoring his nudity. Josie looked up at her with a haunted look in her eyes and exhaustion in the prominent circles under her teary green eyes.

"Tyler. Josie. Oh, my God." she knelt next to her friends, "You're okay. You're okay. You made it. You didn't get out. You didn't hurt anybody. You're okay."

Tyler let out a heart wrenching sob, "No, I'm not."

* * *

 **A/N: For the puppy I chose an English springer spaniel because I had one growing up who died recently of old age. Elijah has made contact, hope it was as good as anticipated. And the long awaited full moon, poor Ty. You'll find out what Josie is in the next couple of chapters, maybe even the next.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the long time in between updates, my schedule just got super busy and I've just gotten over being sick. This was one of the harder chapters to write, because I just couldn't fit her in. I've also started writing a couple new stories that I'll post soon. And the big reveal is here!**

 **Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **, only any unrecognizable plot and OC's.**

 **Third Person POV** (Unless otherwise specified)

 **Chapter Six**

* * *

 _Buzz…Buzz...Buzz…_

Josie opened her eyes slowly, tired, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She was in a room that was almost as familiar as her own.

 _Buzz…_

As she got up, looking for her phone, she heard a groan come from the bed behind her.

"Answer your damn phone, Jo." came Tyler's irritated voice.

Last night she had brought Tyler back to his house and he had told her to stay, not wanting her to walk home alone in the middle of the night.

She picked up her phone, "Hello?" she asked, walking into the hall so Tyler could sleep.

" _Hey Josie, it's John."_ came the voice of her manager.

"Hi, what can I do for you John?"

" _Are you able to come in today? One of the other waitress' called in sick this morning."_

"Uh, sure. What time do you need me?"

" _11:00."_

Josie looked at the clock on the nightstand, it was just before 10:00, "Alright, I'll see you at 11:00."

" _Good. See you then."_ he hung up.

Josie walked back into Tyler's room, picking up her clothes from the floor as she went. She closed the door to the bathroom behind her, taking off Tyler's shirt and shorts, she put her clothes from yesterday back on.

"Goodbye, Tyler." she told her bleary eyed best friend, pressing a kiss to his forehead as she left.

"Bye Jo." he muttered back, pressing his face back into his pillow.

* * *

It was almost 11:00 by the time Josie had gotten home and changed into her work uniform. Walking into the Grill, she moved to the bar and pulled on her apron, unaware of the eyes following her every step.

"Good morning, Sheriff Forbes. What can I get you?" she questioned Caroline's mother, with a smile.

"You too, Josie. And I'll have the lunch special."

"One special coming right up." as she went to place the order she saw Jules approach the Sheriff.

"Sheriff Forbes. Hi. I'm Mason Lockwood's friend from Florida." she greeted.

Realization lit up the Sheriff's face, "Jules, right?"

She nods, "Is there any news?"

"No one's heard from him. I've opened an investigation. As soon as I hear anything I'll let you know."

Josie came back with the Sheriff's order, "Hi, Jules. What can I get you today?" she withdrew her pad and paper from her apron brightly.

"A deluxe Grill burger, fries, and a Coke."

"Alright. Anything else I can get for you Sheriff?"

She checked her watch, "Just a check, lunch breaks about over."

Josie tore out the check and Sheriff Forbes quickly paid before leaving.

A little while later after Jules had been served her food, eyes never leaving the girl, the vampire came up to her.

Josie came out of the kitchen, seeing Damon speaking tensely with Jules, she approached cautiously.

"...You want a cure? I'll tell you the only cure that exists: take a stake and drive it through her heart." Jules spat out tersely before striding out.

Josie just looked at Damon, "What was that about?"

"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about."

She watched him leave too, then went back to work.

* * *

After her shift ended, she was getting ready to go home. As she opened the door to the Grill, she nearly walked into a suit clad chest.

"Are you ready to go?" Elijah asked the young girl.

"Go where?" She asked confused.

He smirked, "Home. You're hosting me, remember. So for being such a generous host, it is my duty to drive you home." that and he heard a werewolf had come to town and wanted her far away.

"Oh!" she realized. He walked to the passenger door and held it open for her, "Thank you."

In a blink he was in the driver's seat next to her, "It was my pleasure."

They rode in silence, Josie realized that she never gave Elijah any directions but he still knew where to go.

"You have questions." Elijah stated, "Ask them."

"How old are you? If you are one of the first vampires, you're one of the oldest beings in existence."

"I, along with the other originals, was born in the 10th century."

Josie whipped around, "The _10th_ century. You're over a thousand years old. What is that like?" she couldn't imagine living so long.

"It has been enlightening. To go where you want to go, do what you want to do, and watch humans evolve and grow as a species."

His mention of the word humans reminded her of all the strange things that have been happening to her, "Elijah?"

He turned at the suddenly somber note in her voice, "Hmm?"

"Do you know what I am?" she asked.

He turned back to the road in time to turn into her driveway, "That will be a long conversation, best to be held inside."

"Of course." Josie didn't know how to feel, she was finally getting answers, but his response confirmed that she wasn't human.

He pulled a couple of duffel bags out of the trunk of the car as she unlocked the door. She walked in and put down her purse, smiling at the sound of small paws pitter-pattering along on the wood floor.

She turned to see Elijah patiently waiting in the doorway before remembering, "Oh! You can come in."

"Thank you. You have a beautiful home." He complimented.

"Let it never be said that flattery gets you nowhere. The guest room is right here." She showed him the spare bedroom she had cleaned out.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, watching as he put his stuff away. She smiled as he pulled out a few suits from his bags, she was unable to see him wearing anything but a suit.

He sat next to her as he finished, "I believe that you wanted answers." at her nod he continued, "What makes you think you are not human?"

"It was a few things really. Apparently sometime after Damon first came to town he had bitten me, I don't remember since I was compelled to forget, and he said my blood was probably some of the best he'd ever tasted." Elijah nodded, prompting her to continue, "And after you blew up the windows of the coffee shop in Richmond," she mock glared at him, "my arms were cut up with glass, but when we got home they were almost fully healed."

"And the full moon?" he queried.

"And during the full moon, when Tyler was transforming there was a voice that only I could hear, I think it was the Wolf. After he tried to attack Caroline, she wasn't able to get me out of the cellar without getting bitten, and the wolf just laid down on me."

Elijah nodded, "The wolf never tried to hurt you."

"No." She agreed. "It was almost like he was trying to protect me."

"Wolves, as I'm sure you know, are pack animals, werewolves are no different. For the werewolf the process of turning can be an excruciating process. It was before even I was born that there was an alpha, the king of all the werewolves, striving to discover a way to help lessen the pain of his people's transformation."

He thought back to the tale Ayanna used to tell his siblings and himself as children.

"So he sought out a witch. The witch was very powerful. And to help the alpha with his problem, she summoned a young slave girl from the village. This girl was said to be the most kind slave of them all and possessed the greenest eyes the witch had ever seen. However, she was also incurably ill. So, the witch cast a spell on the girl, giving her the ability to help the wolf pack. The spell granted her with the power of healing and health." Elijah looked at the girl next to him with the fabled green eyes, "Thus the first healer was created."

"Healer, that's what I am?" Josie had listened to the story with rapt attention, "Are there any other healers left?"

"Yes. You are a healer." Elijah responded. Continuing the story he resumed speaking, "After the spell was complete, the alpha had felt an attraction to her he had never felt before. The witch had made it so that in order to protect the girl, her and every girl like her would have a mate to protect her and care for her. In exchange, the girl would make the pain of the pack's transformation easier to bear, and her presence would guarantee healthier births. But there would only be one healer in existence, for some time we believed that the healer's family line had died out, yet here we are."

Her eyes had widened almost comically, "A mate?" she squeaked.

"Not until you are 18. And he will be a werewolf. Someone capable of protecting you from anyone else wanting to use your healing for more nefarious purposes."

"Nefarious purposes?" Josie's head was spinning from all the new information she was learning.

"The blood of a healer is a powerful ingredient in witches' spells, many unbonded healers have been sacrificed to give a witch more power. The mating of a wolf to healer is not only a physical protection, but also a healer's life will be tied to her mate's. So she can only die if her mate dies, and no other way will kill her. Anything done to her will just heal."

Josie just sat stewing on all that he had told her, "Why could I hear the Wolf on the full moon."

"It is a part of being a healer to help them remain safe during the full moon, she can hear the wolves and communicate with them easier." Elijah explained, "Are there any other questions you have."

"Can I tell the others about this?"

He thought for a moment, "I see no problem with it."

"Okay. Are you hungry? I haven't eaten dinner yet, do you want anything?"

"Whatever you are having is fine."

"Alright." Josie left the room to make dinner.

* * *

Tyler walked into the Grill and sat across from Jules.

"Thank you for coming." Jules told him.

"So what do you want from me?"

Jules looked at him sadly, "Just to be your friend. Mason would have wanted that. I know about Mason and you."

Tyler looked suspicious, "You know what?"

"I know you're a werewolf and I know your little friend Caroline is a vampire."

"How do you know about Caroline?"

"You can't sniff them out?" Tyler remained silent. "Oh my god. You're brand new. How many times have you turned?" He still didn't answer. "Hey, I can help you."

Tyler, feeling uncomfortable, withdrew his hands, "Do you know where Mason is?"

"He's dead, Tyler. He was murdered."

"No." His eyes widened.

"You want to know who murdered him?"

"Just stop." Tyler begged.

Jules pressed on, "Your little blonde vampire did."

Tyler shook his head resolutely, "No, Caroline would never do this."

"She and her little vampire friends were behind it, Tyler."

"Caroline is the only vampire in town." he told her matter of fact.

"Is that what she told you? She lied. This town is crawling with vampires, but don't worry, we'll get them."

"Who are you?" Tyler demanded.

"I'm your friend. There are others like us and they're on their way. And your girlfriend, Josie, I know what she is too?"

"She's not my girlfriend." he answered automatically (many people who didn't know them thought they were dating) "And Jo's human."

"Sorry, she smelled like you earlier, I thought you were together. I guess you're new so you wouldn't know. She's a healer, she was made for werewolves, she's ours." Jules spoke passionately.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope the reveal was worth the wait. And the mate bond. And Jules seemed like a werewolf fanatic in the show. I'll post a new story soon. Much love.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I would like to start by saying the space between chapters is not totally my fault, the story wouldn't upload to fanfiction. I only now got this one and it took a lot more work than usual to update it.**

 **A/N: Sorry about the space between updates, but I'll probably only update once or twice a week, especially with the start of the semester. And thanks to everyone who took the time to read, like, review, and comment.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TVD, only Josie and Olive.**

 **Third Person POV**

 **Chapter Seven**

* * *

Josie had woke up early to the smell of something delicious. Blearily opening her eyes, she trudged down the stairs. The smell of it almost making her forget how much she dreaded today.

Elijah heard the change in the young woman's breathing when she woke, and smiled knowingly, food always would rouse his siblings out of bed as well. He felt a pang in his chest, his smile dropping at the thought of never seeing them again. The pain in his heart was pushed away though when he caught sight of the sleepy healer, her red hair was sticking up every which way, and her small frame was drowning in a man's t-shirt and a pair of flannel pants.

The puppy, who had previously been sitting contently at his feet, rushed up and skidded her way over to her owner, who patted her obligingly.

"Good morning." he greeted.

"Morning. What'cha makin'?"

"Breakfast." he stated obviously, unfazed by the glare directed at his back.

As Josie moved forward to help, there was a breeze and then she was sitting at the table in a chair with a plate of food and a glass of juice in front of her, and a smirking vampire across from her.

"What are you, five?" she mumbled childishly under her breath, forgetting that his vampire hearing could pick up on it.

He ignored the remark, "You have work at 9:00, yes?"

"Yup." she chirped, checking the clock it was only 8:00. "What are you going to do today?"

"I'm going to meet with my witches." he informed her, seeing no harm in doing so.

"Have fun."

Josie finished eating and washed up the dishes and put them away, before going to dress for work.

* * *

At the Lockwood mansion the doorbell rang.

Tyler rushed to answer, calling, "I got it, Mom."

Tyler opened the door, revealing Jules. He moved aside and she entered the house.

"I was right, wasn't I? Your little vampire friend, she was lying." Jules spoke up smugly.

Tyler was still suspicious, "What do you want?"

Jules voice was now compassionate as she answered, "I want you to understand that a vampire will never be your friend. It's our nature to be enemies."

"You know how stupid that sounds?"

"You need to leave here, it's not safe." she attempted to persuade.

He just stared at her, disbelievingly, "I can't just run away with you. I don't even know you. My mom would freak. My life is here. Josie is here."

"Your old life." her demeanor softened, "Your new life is just beginning. You have so much to learn."

Tyler couldn't help but be intrigued, "Like what?"

"How to survive. You've triggered the curse, Tyler. It's important you learn what it means to be a lycanthrope. We live by a code of loyalty, we take care of each other. It's my duty and honor to help you. Please let me." she pressed, "And your friend, Josie, she needs us to protect her." Jules finished her speech.

* * *

Jules left the mansion, the boy was almost too easy, she mentioned that the girl wasn't safe and he was putty in her hands. Soon after, she arrived at a RV in the woods, delivering a few solid raps on the door.

When nobody answered the door, Jules looked around, "Brady?" she called.

She opened the door, looking around, but no one was inside. Feeling something behind her, she whirled around. Brady stood before her. She smiled and not a beat later their bodies were colliding as they kissed each other passionately.

"This is a hard place to find." she commented, after pulling away.

"You told me to stay under the radar." the man, Brady, replied.

"Thanks for coming."

"Are you sure these vamps killed Mason?" he clarified.

She nodded, "Positive. You have to be careful." Jules warned.

Brady looked offended, "I'm not afraid of a vampire."

Jules was quick to placate her lover, "I know, baby, but I want the boy and the healer more than I want vengeance."

"I say let's get both." he smirked down at her, before kissing her again.

* * *

Josie had been working her shift, the Grill was a lot busier due to the memorial going on,

when she was pulled out of her musings by a voice, "Ah, Josie. So glad I caught you."

She turned around, her eyebrows flying into her hairline at the sight of John Gilbert, Elena's uncle/birth father, "Hello John." she replied cordially.

"How have you been lately?" John was unusually chipper and curious.

"I'm doing great, thanks for asking. And how are you?"

"Good, good. And I'll be even better when the Original is gone out of Elena's life, and yet I find out he's staying with one of her friends."

Josie's smile dropped, "And how am I supposed to stop him?" she questioned, "Because unless you have a good answer, please, butt out."

"Find a way." he threatened.

John's message having been delivered, he turned on his heel and walked away. Leaving Josie standing there afraid. She was Elena's friend, but that didn't necessarily ensure her safe from ham when it came to Elena's safety or hers in John's eyes.

* * *

The rest of her shift was uneventful, and passed at a snail's pace. Therefore, Josie wasn't too let down when she was finally off the clock, after being let go early, and she gathered up her things to go.

She walked out the door and was about to text Elijah to tell him she got out early, when someone behind her spoke, "Well. Hello gorgeous."

She gasped, turning around to see a tall, tanned, and built man standing there. Everything about him screamed danger, along with that feeling she only got around Jules and Tyler, werewolf. She took a step away, "Uh, hi." she forced.

The wolf broke free from his position across from her and began walking toward her, Josie had the image of a wolf stalking his prey-her. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so, "Just as the legend says, mouth-watering."

Josie was terrified and backed up faster, hoping to get into public eye. Her escape was short lived though as she bumped into another body behind her, "Where are you going?" the new man asked, amused.

"I have to get home. I'm late." she lied, unconvincingly.

The man's smirk widened, "No you aren't."

Too fast for her human eye to track, the man lunged for her, grabbing her around the middle and forcing a cloth over her mouth, ignoring her weak struggling. Josie's eyes slid shut slowly succumbing to the drug, and she slumped against her captor.

* * *

Josie came to, her body swaying gently with the gait of someone walking. Her heart pounded in her chest remembering those two men in the alley. Listening hard, she heard voices.

"...she was supposed to be out longer." It was a man's.

A woman replied, "It must be what she is." there was a pause, as Jules' ears picked up on something, "She's awake."

She stood slowly, and became dizzy, "What do you want?" her vision had cleared at last.

"We want you. And the boy, Tyler." Jules spoke, "Now, I'm going to check on our other guest."

Jules walked out of the camper, leaving Josie with Brady. He smirked, walking forward until she was pressed against a wall.

"So beautiful." he groaned. He sniffed at her neck and tasted her skin.

Josie whimpered, fearfully, when she felt his mouth touch her skin. No man had ever touched her like this and she didn't like it one bit. Any potential boyfriends she had, had to get through Tyler to get to her, and not many were willing to try. Although if she had really wanted any of them, she knew Tyler would respect her choice.

A growl suddenly ripped from Brady's throat as she tried to squirm away, and he bit down on her neck hard, eliciting a pained cry from her lips. The man grabbed her shirt and pulled, nearly ripping it clean in two, "Mine." he declared.

"No. Please. Stop!" the man ignored her pleas, though the wolf whined and submitted.

Josie was confused when the man staggered away from her, as though he wasn't in control of his body. His eyes were glowing gold and she heard a different voice, "No. Protect. Alpha female." The man shook his head, and pushed away from her even more.

Josie took the torn remains of her t-shirt off, thankful she had worn a tank top beneath it, and pressed it against the stinging wound on her neck. A sob tore its way from her chest, scared of what the man had planned to do.

A groan and a cough came from somewhere behind her. She turned, gasping, "Caroline."

Caroline made sounds of pain before pulling what Josie realized to be a bullet out of her forehead.

"I see you got the bullet out. That was… nasty. I got lots of wooden bullets, other toys." Caroline let out a sob, "It's going to be a long night, sweet pea." The werewolf said before taking aim and shooting her in the chest.

"Care!" Josie had exclaimed. No sooner had the word left her mouth, when the million things to say and questions on the tip of her tongue abruptly turned into a raw and ragged scream, "NO! " as the bullet lodged itself deep within her chest cavity.

She rushed forward, only to be grabbed around the waist and pulled down into the man's lap.

Just then Jules walked back in, hardly blinking at the sight of the small girl in her boyfriend's lap, "He needs proof." she told him brusquely.

The male fired again for good measure, dragging an agonized scream from the vampire, and a cry of protest from Josie.

* * *

On the other side of the line Tyler and Stefan were silent.

"He needs proof." Jules spoke to someone. There was the sound of a gunshot and two feminine screams.

"What's happening?" Tyler asked, concerned, hearing the girls' cries.

Stefan ignored him responding, "Hurt her again and you're dead. That goes for Josie too."

"What? Josie?" Tyler's voice was fearful.

"I hurt her again, and she's dead. And the girl is none of your concern. Bring Tyler to me, the clearing by Wickery Falls. You have 20 minutes until she dies." And then the line died with a beep.

* * *

Josie desperately struggled more against the werewolf's hold as Caroline sobbed.

"So…" he spoke as if Josie's struggles were an irritating insect, "How many vampires are there in this town anyway?"

Caroline was silent, he didn't like that, and sprayed her in the face with a vervain squirt gun.

"No?" he asked.

"Why are you doing this to us? Why?" Caroline demanded, brokenly, kicking at the cage to get to her friend who was stiff and scared every time the man touched her.

"You're a vampire." he loaded some toothpicks into a tube, "Why not?" And shot her, over her scream he asked, "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"Get me out!" she screamed for help, pulling Josie out of her statue-esque state.

"Don't touch her." she yelled.

His voice was mocking, "Excuse me? What was that?"

"Let me out!" Josie rushed forward only to be stopped by a manacle around her ankle. The man must have slipped it on while she was unresponsive.

The man left the trailer at last.

"Care…" Josie whispered.

"Are you alright? That man, did he hurt you?" Caroline cut over her, taking in her friend's fearful response to him, her ripped shirt, and the bite on her neck.

She shivered, "I'm fine. Are you okay?"

Caroline's was cut short at the sound of someone rushing into the trailer.

"Tyler!" Josie exclaimed.

"There's a latch. There's a latch on the door and I can't get to it." Caroline rushed out.

Tyler didn't respond or move.

"Tyler?" Caroline questioned, "Tyler, please. Tyler?"

The sound of her pleas finally got through to him and he hastened forward, opening the latch and door so Caroline could crawl out.

She immediately ran to Josie breaking the cuff off her ankle, while Tyler scooped her into his arms.

Tyler carried Josie out just as all the other werewolves went down, clutching their heads and screaming in pain. Josie moaned in pain as the Wolves whined in her head.

"What's happening?" Caroline asked.

"What the hell's going on?" Tyler set Josie on her feet.

A man came out of the woods holding out his hands to the wolves, "Elijah made a promise to Elena. I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go." he told the vampires, "Get out of here. Now. When your friends awaken, he leveled his gaze on Tyler, give them a message. They need to get the hell out of this town."

Tyler felt a whoosh of air behind him and turned to see a man in a suit, "I've got her." he told Tyler, before running away at vampire speed.

* * *

Elijah set Josie down as gently as his anger would allow.

"How bad are you hurt?" he asked staring at her neck, "Let me see?"

"I'm fine." she protested.

He grasped her arm and pulled the shirt away from her neck to reveal the bite that stank of wolf venom, and he growled menacingly at the sight.

Josie recoiled at the sound. And stared at his arm when he offered it to her, a neat bite mark on his wrist, before tentatively bringing it to her mouth and drinking until it healed. "Why didn't my powers heal it." she asked curiously.

Elijah took a deep breath to calm himself, "A bite from a werewolf is considered a… claiming mark. So it will not go away unless healed naturally or by means of vampire blood to clear the venom from your system."

"A claiming mark." Josie's eyes widened in fear.

Seeing the amount of undiluted fear in her eyes made him wish he had killed them all when he had the chance. "It's a part of the mating process for werewolves." he forced out, disgusted that someone would try to force another into being their mate, let alone this sweet innocent girl. "Come on." he coaxed her into her room where he pulled out another shirt, one he had seen was a favorite of hers, and gave it to her.

Olive had been laying on the bed peacefully before they came in, but was now up yipping in excitement at the sight of Josie and Elijah, and ran up to demand petting. Meanwhile, Elijah selected her clothing and went into the bathroom to draw her a bath as she sat on the edge of her bed rhythmically petting the puppy.

Guiding her into the bathroom, Elijah turned on the bathtub and filled it part way with warm water, before exiting the bathroom to give her privacy.

Alone in the bathroom Josie stripped from her torn and bloody clothes, and stepped into the tub. Once in she curled up into a ball, scrubbing at her skin and hair until it was pink, yet no tears fell from her eyes.

She hated how helpless she was, how she couldn't do anything to stop him from touching her, or how she couldn't help Caroline. All because of how weak she was.

She let out an involuntary shiver, alerting her to how long she had been in the bath, the water was freezing. Made aware, she realized that her teeth were chattering and she was shivering.

Josie pulled herself stiffly from the tub and wrapped a towel around her to dry off. She changed into the old worn shirt that was her father's and the small shorts she used to use for dancing before her mother passed.

Walking to the guest room and the downstairs, disclosed that Elijah had left the house. She moved to the bookshelf where all her mother's favorite books, movies, and CDs were. Looking through them, she pulled out one of her mom's favorite songs to dance to, the one played at her wedding, and put it in the player.

Josie sat down just listening, and closed her eyes.

Flashback*

 _"I'm afraid there is nothing more we can do, Mr. Rogers." the doctor spoke, sadly._

 _George looked desperate, "Please. There must be something." he begged._

 _"Just… try and make her comfortable." the doctor told the heartbroken man._

 _"Daddy? Will mommy be alright?" his daughter spoke, tearily._

 _"No. No, she won't." George told his daughter tersely._

End Flashback*

Josie was released from her thoughts by the feel of someone gently gripping her hand and pulling her to her feet.

"May I have this dance?" Elijah asked, politely, noticing that this song was very meaningful to her.

She smiled, sadly, "You may."

Elijah waited patiently, knowing that she would speak when she was ready, and pulled her into a waltz. He was pleasantly surprised when she fell easily into step with him.

"This was my mother's favorite song." she spoke quietly, without vampire hearing he would have missed it, "She died five years ago, today. She loved to dance."

"You have my condolences for your loss."

"Thank you." she told him, the tears he saw when he walked into the room to see her sitting on the couch finally spilling over.

Elijah pulled her close as she cried, heedless of the tears staining his suit, and cradled her as he would Rebekah when she was upset.

* * *

Knocking on the door startled Josie, and she pulled away from the much needed embrace. She moved to answer while Elijah disappeared upstairs.

"Stefan? What are you doing here?"

"How are you?" he asked, compassionately, seeing the tear tracks on her face.

"Better. Thank you." she told him, honestly.

"If it's not too much trouble, I've organized a surprise sleepover for you girls, if you want in." he told her.

"Yeah. One second." she ran up the stairs and entered her room, throwing some clothes and necessities into a bag, she rushed back down. "Ready." she said, a genuine smile on her face.

* * *

Once they were at Caroline's house, Stefan knocked on the door.

"Hey."

"Hey." he told Caroline as she answered the door.

"What's going on?"

"I was a bit worried about you. After everything you went through tonight."

"I'm fine." she spoke softly.

"Good. But just in case, I… brought some backup." Stefan stepped aside to Caroline's confusion.

"We're gonna slumber it." Elena told her friend.

Bonnie followed, "We haven't done it in ages."

"Ok." Caroline conceded as Josie walked into the house, immediately enveloping all the other girls into an embrace.

Caroline cried as she was pulled into her friends caring arms and embraced them in turn.

Stefan just watched the emotional moment before leaving, bidding a silent goodbye to his girlfriend on the way out, and smiling gladly at the fact that the girls were all such great friends.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh, sadness. I didn't mean to make that many feels I swear it just happened. Poor Josie is not having a good day, Caroline too, and Elijah missing his family. Klaus is coming soon! As always like and review.**

 **Brookworm3: He will definitely be turning more than canon to be with her, and be more wolf-like. And no it's not just you Jules is a bit of a bitch, literally and figuratively (I should tell you that I'm probably going to be hit by my co-author for that pun, she hates them. Totally worth it). Glad you like it, hope I don't disappoint.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who took the time to read, like, review, and comment. Sorry about the wait, I'm trying to get better about it.**

 **If you haven't already, check out my new story. It's a HP/TVD crossover (Female Harry Potter). It's called Libertate.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries.**

 **Third Person POV**

 **Chapter Eight**

* * *

 _RRRIIINNNGGG!_

Josie groaned as the shrill sound pierced her head like a jackhammer.

"Sleeping. Go away." Caroline mumbled from next to her.

With a noise of protest Elena went crashing to the floor with a thump, after Caroline pushed her out of bed.

 _Ring! Ring!_

Elena answered her phone with a "Hello."

"Ssh." Bonnie mumbled.

As Caroline spoke, "Elena!"

Josie pulled the covers over her head and tuned out the conversation, trying to go back to sleep.

* * *

After another couple hours of sleep the girls got up to start the day.

Elena told them that Stefan was taking her up to the lakehouse to get away from all of the supernatural drama for a bit. Caroline and Bonnie were going to go have lunch at the Grill. And Josie needed to go home and get ready for the Historical Society Tea Party today.

Josie arrived back to her house with a still slightly pounding head, she didn't drink as much as the other girls, but it also didn't take as much alcohol to get her drunk.

"Good morning." Elijah greeted. He was amused at the sight of her glaring at him for being so put together so early in the morning.

Her response was a muttered, "Morning, 'Lijah."

"And how was your sleepover?"

"I've never had a girls sleepover before, it was kinda nice." she admitted to the vampire, "Anyway let me go get ready and then we can head to the Tea Party, sound good?"

"Perfect."

Josie went upstairs pulling her modest knee length dress she had gotten for the Historical Society functions like this one. The dress was olive green and cinched at the waist and flowed to her knees. She put her hair up in a bun in an attempt to tame the curls, and put on minimal makeup to hide the dark circles that refused to fade.

When she came down the stairs she saw Elijah sitting in an armchair reading one of the books from the bookshelf, "You look wonderful, Josephine."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, Elijah." And it was true, he wore a dark shirt covered with an even darker blazer, foregoing the tie.

"Shall we?" he held his arm out for her to take.

"We shall." she tried and failed to copy his posh accent, gaining a chuckle from the usually stoic vampire.

* * *

Mrs. Lockwood greeted them at the door, "Ah Josie, Mr. Smith. How wonderful that you're here."

"A pleasure to be here, Madam Mayor. And might I say you look beautiful." The older woman was clearly charmed, if the blush on her cheeks were anything to go by.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith."

"Elijah, please." he insisted.

"Carol, then." she replied in the same tone. "So, have you spent much time in Richmond for your book? There's such a wealth of history there."

"No. I'm focusing mostly on the smaller regions of Virginia. Lots of research. Strictly academic."

"That's fascinating." Carol gushed, using what Tyler called her politician's voice.

Their conversation was prevented from continuing by the entrance of another person.

"Damon." Mrs. Lockwood exclaimed.

The younger vampire smirked, "Carol." he greeted.

"What a surprise."

"Hi." They kissed cheeks.

"Hi. Elijah, I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Falls' founding families."

"Mm-hmm" Damon hummed in agreement, "Such a pleasure to meet you."

"No. Pleasure's mine." Elijah responded.

"And hello to you, Jelly-Bean."

"Hi, Damon." Josie responded nervously at the way Damon eyed the arm she had linked with Elijah's.

* * *

Damon gestured for Elijah to follow him somewhere more private.

"What can I do for you, Damon?" Elijah asked the younger vampire, cordially.

"I was hoping we could have a word."

"Where's Elena?"

"Safe with Stefan. They're laying low, you know. Bit of a werewolf problem." Damon drawled.

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that."

"I'm sure you did since it was your witch that saved the day." he quipped.

Josie interjected then, "Which I, for one, am grateful."

"You are welcome." Elijah told them both, to Josie it was more sincere.

"Which adds to my confusion on exactly why you're here."

"Why don't you just stay focused on keeping Elena safe and leave the rest to me." Elijah turned to go, pulling Josie along with him, gently.

Damon appeared in front of them, "Not good enough."

She was wholly unprepared for Elijah to grab Damon by the throat and slam him into the wall, "Elijah!"

Damon tried to reciprocate the choking, but the older vampire merely removed his hand from around his throat with a cracking sound, "You young vampires, so arrogant. How dare you come in here and challenge me?"

"You can't kill me, man. It's not part of the deal." Damon mocked.

"Silence." Elijah whispered, plucking a pencil off the desk and jamming it into Damon's artery.

"Ahh!" Damon screamed.

"Oh my gosh, Damon!" Josie rushed forward to her friend.

"I'm an Original. Show a little respect." Elijah held out a handkerchief to Josie who put it against Damon's neck. "The moment you cease to be of use to me, you're dead, so you should do what I say. Keep Elena safe." Elijah left the room with a satisfied smile, leaving Josie to tend to a stewing Damon.

* * *

Josie sat with Damon and Alaric at the Salvatore boarding house.

"Today was a bust." Damon told no one in particular.

"Yeah. How's the throat?" Alaric mocked.

"Sore."

"Yeah. That Elijah's one scary dude, but with nice hair."

Josie giggled at that, "He's not that bad once you stop provoking him." she told them.

"You, Jelly-Bean, do not get a say in this since he's been staying with you, being all buddy-buddy, and you didn't tell us."

She scoffed, "What was I supposed to say? 'Oh, hi Damon. By the way that guy you killed last week is living with me for a bit. Have a nice day!'"

"Yes!"

Trying to break up the tension Alaric stood, "Hey. You want another one?" gesturing to Damon's bourbon.

"He's gonna be hard to kill."

"Yeah. I'd think twice before I'd trust that dagger and some ashes to do the job. You're gonna need more info."

"I'm out of sources."

"Wait! Kill? What do you mean dagger and ashes? You can't kill Elijah."

"Relax, Jelly-Bean. We're not gonna kill your boyfriend. The dagger is only if he breaks his word and puts everyone in danger."

Josie turned to Alaric who nodded in confirmation, "Okay, but as long as that's all it's used for. And he's not my boyfriend." she tacked on as an afterthought.

"What's up with you and this news chick?"

"Ooh. She's got spunk, huh?" Damon drawled out lasciviously.

"Just don't kill her, please." Alaric sighed.

"If I did, who would report her death?"

"Just don't do it, all right? She's friends with Jenna, and it's bad enough that I'm lying to her about everything else. I hate the lies." Alaric checked his watch. "Oh, god. I got to go. I got to pick Jenna up. Don't worry. I'll, uh, show myself out."

"Good luck."

"Bye Ric." Josie chirped.

"Bye Josie." he left hurriedly.

Josie had just laid her head on Damon's good shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment, when a crash came from the other room.

Damon shot up, careful not to send Josie flying off the couch and went to investigate, "Stay here." he ordered.

Josie stayed for a moment, but then bolted out of the room hearing more crashes, grabbing one of Damon's many bottles of alcohol on the way.

She entered the hallway to Alaric laying dead on the ground, and Damon trying to knock someone of his back. She hid herself in one of the alcoves in the hall.

Damon finally dropped, and the man pulled the syringe out of his neck, "Whew! Damn, you're strong. It took the whole syringe." the door opened letting in more men, "Grab that one. He's dead."

Jules sauntered into the room carrying a shotgun over her shoulder, "Hi, Damon. Nice to see you again."

Josie watched as Damon fell unconscious, moving deeper into the crevice. The wolves moved towards Damon's prone form, carrying his body into the living room.

She gripped the crystal decanter tighter in her hands waiting until the wolves moved out of the room, all she could think about was getting away and not going through _that_ again. When only one wolf remained, she moved out of her spot.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

Josie smashed the decanter over his head and ran for the upstairs. Making it up she barricaded herself into one of the bedrooms. Looking around she inferred that it was Damon's room, running to the balcony she opened the door.

Josie took a deep breath swinging her legs over the rail, it was only one story she could do this, or that's what she told herself. She pushed off of the edge just as the door was smashed open.

The healer couldn't stop the pained scream that ripped from her throat as she hit the ground. Climbing to shaking feet, she stumbled for a few feet on a possibly broken leg, before she was grabbed from behind.

"Woah. Where do you think you're going, sweetness?"

Josie let out a fearful cry as the werewolf lifted her into his arms, "No, please. Just let me go, please." she begged him.

"Ssh… It'll be alright."

"No! Not again, please…" she trailed off into a sobbing mess, not caring that she looked like a blubbering baby. She didn't want anyone to touch her like Bra - the other wolf had.

"Hush, sweetness. You'll be alright, now." he pressed his hand into a pressure point on her neck and felt her slump bonelessly against his chest. "Jesus, Brady. What did you do?" he wondered out loud to himself.

* * *

Damon came to slowly, feeling the vervain weakening him. He looked up and saw Alaric laying on the ground still dead, he emitted an internal sigh of relief when he glimpsed the Gilbert ring on his finger. On the couch was an unconscious Josie, she looked unharmed, but he couls see and smell the remnants of tears on her cheeks.

"Morning, Sunshine." the wolf who attacked him spoke up, "I saw this in a movie once, some torture porn flick. Anyway, they had this collar device that was really cool, so I just modified it some with some wooden nails, and when I pull…"

Damon scream as the chains pushed the wooden nails into his neck.

Jules spoke up from where she was sat next to a stirring Josie, "So I hear you have the moonstone."

Damon laughed mockingly, "Oh, if only you knew the irony of this moment right now. Let me tell you how this is gonna go. You're gonna torture me, I don't talk, someone loses a heart. Last time, it was your boy Mason."

"This time, it will be you."

The wolf holding the chain pulled as Jules nodded her head at him. Josie awake now screamed as Damon did, "Stop it! You're hurting him." she yelled, she tried to get to him but fell back on the couch due to the pain in her legs.

"That's the point honey." she turned back to the vampire, "You know what the great thing about Buckshot is? It scatters through the body, maximum damage." she aimed the gun at his chest, "Where's the moonstone?"

"Get over it, honey." he spat out the same term of endearment she used for Josie, "You're never going to get it."

A voice came from the doorway, "You looking for this?"

Josie turned with everyone else to see Elijah leaning casually against the door frame. He was holding a milky white stone in his hand, it looked almost like a bar of soap, she thought. He walked elegantly into the room and set the moonstone down on the table.

"Go ahead. Take it?"

When a wolf ran forward, Elijah met him halfway with a hand in his chest, deftly yanking his heart out. He repeated the process with ease to all the others who came at him. With every violent death, Josie felt a tug in her own chest, as if he were pulling her heart out too. Jules left the room in a blur.

He strolled to the last wolf, the one who was torturing Damon, as if he didn't have a care in the world, "What about you, sweetheart, hmm? You want to take a shot? No? Yes? No?" he turned to Damon and Josie, "Where's the girl?"

Damon looked around, shrugging, "I don't know."

"She left."

"It doesn't really matter." The Originals arm shot out and he punched the wolf in the head, who fell to the ground dead when his neck gave a sickening _crack!_ Elijah moved forward breaking the chains holding Damon effortlessly, "So you realize this is the third time I've saved your life now?"

Elijah turned to the door, scooping Josie up as he passed, gently as to not jostle her injuries. And picked up the moonstone from where he'd set it down. Josie laid her head, trustingly, against his shoulder feeling safe around the Original, knowing he wouldn't hurt her.

* * *

Josie felt Elijah slow down as he approached the porch, he maneuvered her in his arms to open the door. Walking into the house, he sat down on the couch, adjusting her so that he still held her legs to keep pressure off the break.

"Here." he offered her his wrist.

She took the arm and blood with a muttered "Thank you." and moaned in slight pain as her bones moved and fused back together. "For more than the blood. For saving Damon tonight too. I know you don't like him, and the feeling is mutual."

"You care for him. And my deal with Miss Gilbert was to protect her loved ones."

She laid her head tiredly on his shoulder, "I know, but still no one else will say it. So, thank you."

"You are welcome, Josephine."

The duo descended into a companionable silence, broken only by the sound of her phone buzzing on the counter.

Seeing the face of Mrs. Lockwood on the screen she answered, "Mrs. Lockwood?"

"Oh, Josie. He, he's gone. He left." came the choked out response.

"Wait. Who's gone, Mrs. Lockwood? Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not. Tyler's gone, he ran away!"

Her heart plummeted in her chest, "What?"

"He left a note saying he needed time away." she sobbed over the phone, "He just left."

Josie's eyes blurred with tears, god she was tired of crying. She barely heard Mrs. Lockwood speaking and Elijah gently prying the cell phone out of her hands to speak to Mrs. Lockwood.

Hanging up, Elijah turned to the distraught girl. Pulling her close to his chest he held her as her heart broke for the boy who left.

* * *

 **A/N: I just love Elijah/Josie moments! Don't worry, all platonic, I HATE love triangles. And I just love Elijah in general, he's probably my favorite Original. As always like, comment, and follow.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who took the time to read, like, and comment. Sorry for the delay, but I made this chapter slightly longer.**

 **Silver lining: My sport just ended so I'll have more time to write. I did competitive cheerleading and we just had regionals, we placed seventh.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries.**

 **Third Person POV**

 **Chapter Nine**

* * *

Josie woke better rested than she had felt in a long time. She burrowed deeper into her pillow with a content sigh. She scrunched her eyes to block out the sunlight streaming through the open curtains.

She had just about fell back asleep when she registered the movement from under her head. Eyes snapping open, she looked down seeing a shirt clad chest, furrowing her brows; she remembered Mrs. Lockwood's call and Elijah holding her, they must have fallen asleep.

Looking up at his face she saw him lying with his eyes closed, seemingly still sleeping, amusedly noticing that his hair was quite ruffled. Josie tried to get up without waking him, a task that proved difficult with one arm still wrapped around her waist and the other cradling her head tenderly against his slow-beating heart.

Elijah felt the moment she woke up, the change in her breathing and heartbeat against his side, he also felt when she realized where she was. The girl moved around a bit and he pretended to sleep, curious of what she would do. He was hard pressed to hide his amusement with her struggle to get out of his arms while trying not to wake him.

Unable to contain it he let out a chuckle, opening his eyes as the squirming healer looked up at him sheepishly.

"You were awake this whole time, weren't you?" she accused, embarrassment flooding her face.

"I heard your breathing change." he answered simply.

"Oh, that makes sense actually." And when she thought about it, it did. Stupid vampire hearing. "So, what's the plan for today? Stabbing people at tea parties or rescuing the damsels from werewolves?"

"Neither are on my agenda at the moment, but I'm always up for saving the poor distressed damsels." he teased back. "Actually, I'm supposed to meet Ms. Summers to tour the old properties today, for my book."

"Are you really writing a book, or is that just your cover story?"

"I am writing a book to give my story validity. I have most of it done, it's just smaller more modern details I'm adding."

"I'll have to read it when you finish."

"I shall save you a copy."

Josie smiled happily at their playful banter. It was nice to just forget about their problems for a while, to forget that Klaus was coming to sacrifice her friend to break a curse.

* * *

Josie followed Jenna and Elijah through the old founders' properties.

"The old Fell property actually starts just beyond that fence." Jenna was explaining to him.

"Ah, the Fells. One of the _Founding Families_." his tone was mocking, as if he knew something they didn't.

"Why do you say it like that?" Josie asked him.

"My research showed me that this area was actually settled almost two full centuries earlier. It was a migration of townsfolk from the northeast, um, it was Salem, to be precise."

Jenna turned to him disbelievingly, "Massachusetts? As in the witch trials?"

Elijah nodded, "Which means the ever lauded Founding Families… they didn't actually found anything."

"Well, I bet it was the men who made a big deal about being Founders back in 1860. Men are very territorial."

Josie giggled as Elijah answered, "Yes, they are." looking beyond Jenna and seeing Ric approaching.

"Elijah, this is my _friend_ , Alaric Saltzman." Jenna introduced, putting emphasis on the word 'friend'.

"Yeah, I got your message about walking Elijah here through the old property lines. I thought I would tag along. You know being a history buff and all. Where to next?"

Elijah turned to face Jenna, "I'm pretty curious about the freed slave property owners. Some say, you know, the descendants of the slaves are the true keepers of American history."

Jenna looked in her bag, "Well, I only brought the surveys. I got that list in the car. Just give me a sec."

Jenna walked back to her car, leaving Josie to play mediator for Ric and Elijah.

"Alaric Saltzman. So you're one of those people on Elena's list of loved ones to protect."

Alaric scowled, "So is Jenna."

"You don't have to be jealous. I don't really pursue younger women." He smirked at Ric's expression, while Josie giggled, "It's a joke, Ric, lighten up."  
Elijah patted him on the shoulder and escorted Josie away.

"Right." Alaric muttered sullenly.

Alaric left, and minutes later a confused Jenna wandered back to the little group, "Where's Ric?"

"An urgent phone call." Elijah lied smoothly to the unsuspecting woman.

* * *

Josie walked in the Grill with Jenna and Elijah.

Damon called out to them, "Ah, there's Jenna with her new boyfriend. Hi."

Jenna changed direction and they approached Damon, Ric, and Andie's table.

"Hey, guys." Jenna greeted, mainly towards Damon and Andie.

Damon smirked, amused, "So I hear you three had quite a meeting of historical minds today."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Alaric stood to go at Jenna's icy look, "Well, as much as I'd like to continue this, I've got papers to grade."

Andie spoke up, "No, you know what? We should continue this. Let's have a dinner party."

"Ooh, my girl. Full of good ideas. I'll be happy to host. Say tonight. Maybe?"

"It's good for me. Jenna?"

"I don't know if tonight works…" Alaric hedged hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm free." Jenna confidently contradicted him.

"It'd be a pleasure. Only if my lovely host shall be in attendance."

Damon narrowed his eyes, "Great."

* * *

Elijah drove them home to prepare.

Josie climbed out of the car, and immediately gasped at Elijah's close proximity, pinning her to the car door, "Is there anything planned tonight that I should be wary of?"

"I, I don't think so?" At his raised brow she elaborated, "They don't exactly tell me everything."

Elijah nodded accepting that answer, "Alright."

Josie bit her lip, "Is Elena going to be alright? I know the deal you made with her, you said you'd protect her loved ones, but you never said anything about her."

"Elena is essential in the sacrifice. Although 500 years ago, I had acquired something to preserve the life of the doppelgänger."

"For Katherine?"

"Yes. Before she ran away."

"So, Elena will survive?" she questioned, hopefully.

"That's, that's great." she beamed at him, running up to the kitchen to start on something to bring to the party, knowing that Jenna was not the best chef.

* * *

Josie knocked on the door to the Boarding House. She was carefully balancing the cake she had made before they came to the party, smacking away Elijah's hands when he tried to take it from her.

The door opened revealing the elder Salvatore.

"Good evening." Elijah greeted.

"Hi."

Damon smiled tightly, "Thank you for coming. Please, come in."

Josie stepped forward, only to be stopped by Elijah's arm wrapping around her waist, "Just one moment. Can I just say that if you have anything less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider."

"No, nothing, nothing dishonorable. Just getting to know you."

Elijah hummed thoughtfully, walking past Damon into the house, "Well, that's good. Because, you know, although Elena and I have this deal, if you do so much as make a move to cross me, I'll kill you and I'll kill everyone in this house. Are we clear?"

Damon's eye twitched, "Crystal."

Jenna walked in then, "Jenna. How wonderful to see you again. How are you?"

"Nice to see you. And Josie, is that chocolate?"

"Yes." she responded, handing the cake off to Jenna.

"Oh, you spoil me." she turned to Elijah and Damon, "Josie makes the best desserts, I could sit and eat them all day long."

"I look forward to dessert then." Elijah stated, watching the girls cheeks color rapidly.

"Me too." Damon agreed, staring unnervingly at the Original.

"So, what can I do to help, Jenna?" Josie asked.

Jenna hummed in thought, "If you could help with the table that would be great."

"Okay. Excuse me, gentlemen." she directed the second part to Damon and Elijah hoping to remind them not to threaten each other with humans in the house.

* * *

Damon and Andie, being the proud hosts they were, showed their guests to the dining room, which had been decorated beautifully. Jenna had served the adults wine, and Josie had hunted around Damon and Stefan's collection for something non-alcoholic, finally settling on an apple cider herbal tea.

Josie unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, was placed as a wall between Elijah and Damon.

"So, how was the walk along the old property lines today." Andie broke the ice.

Elijah smiled genially at her, "It was wonderful, Josie and Jenna are very accomodating hostess'."

Jenna laughed, "I wouldn't go that far, I never was the best in history class, that was always Miranda. Although, Josie loves history."

"It's interesting." Josie defended, "People from different times would have a different view of the world and the most common things we take for granted, would have been luxuries back then." She smiled secretively at Elijah and Damon.

Elijah smiled back, appreciative of her curiosity, she had spent hours picking his brain over historical events, even going so far as to take notes. "I would have to agree on those points."

Jenna grabbed more wine, "I hate to break it to you, Damon, but according to Elijah, your family is so not a founder of this town."

"Hmm, do tell." He turned his stare to Elijah.

"Well, as I mentioned to Jenna and Josephine earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690s. Over the next hundred years they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution."

"Hmm. Because they were witches." Jenna joked.

"Yeah, but there's no tangible proof there were witches in Salem." Andie interjected.

Josie smiled, "No proof that there weren't either."

"Andie's a journalist." Damon told Elijah. "Big on facts."

"Well, the lore says that there was this wave of anti-witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement, so these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and, uh, burned. Some say you could hear the screams from miles around us. They were consumed by the fire." Elijah informed them, "Could you pass the…"

"I wouldn't repeat this to the Historical Society." Jenna told him with a laugh.

"It's starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me." John interjected.

Josie turned to him, "Maybe, but some old ghost stories have some truth to them. Right, John?"

"So, why do you want to know the location of these alleged massacres?" Damon asked, a little too curiously if you asked Josie.

"You know… a healthy historian's curiosity, of course."

"Of course." Damon agreed.

Josie set her fork down, suddenly feeling ill at ease.

"Does anyone care for some cognac?" Damon offered, "Except you, Jelly-Bean. I have a bottle I've been saving for ages."

"None for me, thanks. Nine bottles of wine is my limit." Alaric joked.

Andie stood up, "The gentlemen should take their drinks in the study." Her voice was monotone, indicating compulsion.

Ever the gentleman, Elijah commented, "I have to say the food was almost as wonderful as the company."

"I like you." Andie pointed to the Original.

Jenna picked up some plates and handed them to John, "Here you are, gentleman, make yourself useful. Hmm?"

Ric came up to her hopeful, "Here, here. Put me to work."

"Um, I got it."

"Hey, Jenna, are you - are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine, Ric." Jenna turned her back to him.

Josie gathered up more dishes and followed her to the kitchen.

* * *

Meanwhile, Damon and Elijah were residing in the library. Damon poured the two of them drinks.

"So, let me guess. In addition to the moonstone, the doppelgänger, the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, you need to find this witch burial ground."

Elijah inspected the room, "Because I feel as though we've grown so close, Damon, I'll tell you yes. Do you know where it is?"

"Maybe." he smirks, "Tell me why it's so important."

Damon handed Elijah a glass of scotch.

Elijah smirked back, "We're not that close." He turned to the bookshelves, "It's quite a collection you have here."

"Hmm." Damon agreed.

While Elijah continued to survey the volumes with his back turned, Damon slowly grabbed the silver dagger from the tray, and creeped up to him.

Elijah continued unhindered, "It's a funny thing about books. Before they existed, people actually had memories."

Unexpectedly, Alaric and Josie burst through the study doors. Damon quickly relinquished the dagger, hiding it down out of sight.

"Gentlemen, we forgot about dessert." Ric forced out casually.

Josie looked at them suspiciously, "And I for one worked very hard on the cake today. Elijah?"

She held out her hand to Elijah, who took it and twirled her around, prompting a delighted giggle. "Josephine."

Elijah and Josie reentered the dining room.

Jenna turned to them, "Sorry, guys, dessert is taking longer than I thought. I usually just unwrap food." She said with a laugh.

"I've got you covered, Jenna." Jenna and Josie left to the kitchen.

Andie looked to Elijah, "So...I know this is a social thing, but I...I would really love to ask you some more questions about the work that you're doing here."

"I'd love to answer."

"Great, that's so great."

Damon and Alaric made their way into the room. Damon wasted no time as he artfully dropped down into a chair and glared with flagrant hatred across the table at John.

Andie pointed to the male, "Ric, would you do me a favor and grab the notebook out of my bag?"

"Elijah, did John tell you he's Elena's uncle-slash-father?"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that."

Damon smirked, "Of course, she hates him, so there's absolutely no need to keep him on the endangered species list."

Andie got up, "No Ric, it's in the front pocket. On the...you know what? Excuse me, guys. Sorry."

John spoke up, "What I'd like to know, Elijah, is how do you intend on killing Klaus?"

"Gentlemen," Elijah spoke softly, "there's a few things we should probably get clear right now. I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house living her life with her friends as she does as a courtesy. If you become a liability, I'll take her away from you and you'll never see her again."

Andie came back with her notebook and sat down, oblivious to the apparent tension in the room, "Okay. My first question is when you got here to Mystic…"

Elijah suddenly jerked with a shout, his back arching in his chair. He choked as his skin turned grey and he slumped in his chair, dead. Alaric ripped the dagger out and slammed it on the table.

"Now, get rid of him before Jenna and Josie come back with dessert."

There was a crash from the doorway. Alaric and Damon looked up to see Josie staring at Elijah's body in shock, the cake smeared across the floor innocently forgotten at her feet.

"You… you killed him." her breathing began to hitch and she was rapidly emitting uneven, shallow breaths.

"Josie…" Damon approached her cautiously, as one would with a scared wild animal.

She hurtled into the room toward Elijah, barely making it two steps before John grabbed her, "It's for the best Josephine."

"NO! Let me go!" she nearly screamed.

"Shut her up." Damon grabbed Elijah's body and disappeared.

John covered her mouth with his hand and dragged her from the room. Infuriated and upset, Josie elbowed him in the stomach and bolted for the door. She managed to make it outside only to trip in the driveway, landing roughly on her knees and holding her head in her hands. She was unaware of the figure approaching her until he was directly behind her.

"I made my terms quite clear, Josephine." Elijah's voice was menacing.

"Elijah! I'm sorry. Please, don't hurt them." she begged him.

"I'm sorry too." He lunged for her and she felt an explosion of pain before everything went black.

* * *

Josie awoke to the feeling of a concussion and the rocking of a vehicle beneath her.

"How is your head?"

"You knocked me out." She accused, remembering why she had the headache in the first place.

"My apologies, but you would not have come quietly otherwise."

You were dead I saw you. How are you here?"

"The Salvatore's did not leave the dagger in, it is only effective while in my heart."

Her eyes widened, comprehending what he said earlier, "Come quietly where?"

"We are picking up Elena and leaving. I told them what would happen if they crossed me." Elijah told her. "And Klaus would be interested in what you are, he always has had a fascination with healers, and I will not let him have you." He vowed solemnly.

"Please, don't take her away she has a family here. You can take me, but leave her here. Please." She didn't care that she was begging, she didn't want Elena to have to leave her family behind.

Elijah looked at her, "The Salvatore's knew that the consequences of breaking the deal were having her removed from Mystic Falls."

"Elijah, please."

"I will not let their selfishness get you taken or killed." He growled.

"But it's alright for Elena to, if only temporarily, be killed."

"She will come back fine, her protectors won't let anything happen to her. You on the other hand do not have anyone to protect you. The Salvatore's would let you die if it meant Elena lived."

Josie shook her head vehemently, ignoring the dizziness, "No, they wouldn't do that. They care about me."

"But they love her. And people do crazy things for love."

Himself included he was darkly reminded, after all, he did destroy his relationship with his brother for the love of a woman who never loved him like he did her.

* * *

Elijah stopped his car about a mile from the cabin Jonas had directed him to. Next to him he could hear Josie's heart beating faster as he parked. He sped out of the car, opening her door and gently grabbing her arm and pulling her along with him.

He crouched down, grabbing a handful of stones from the ground.

He listened to the doppelgänger reassure her bodyguard, "You know," he called, "I might not be able to enter this house… but I am a very patient man. I'll wait you out. Besides I have a little something for… motivation."

Josie glowered at the 'little' comment, well aware of his amusement with her size. She looked back to the door seeing Elena slowly walking to the barrier.

"They shouldn't have done what they did." Elena attempted to amend.

"The deal is off."

"I'm renegotiating."

Elijah took a step forward, still holding Josie's arm, "You have nothing left to negotiate with. I on the other hand." He told her with a pointed look to Josie.

Elena pulled out a knife, "I'd like to see you lure Klaus into Mystic Falls after the doppelgänger bleeds to death."

Elijah scoffed, "Stefan won't let you die."

"No, he won't." She agreed. "He'll feed me his blood to heal me, and then I'll kill myself and become a vampire, just like Katherine did. So unless you want that to happen again, promise me the same as before - promise me… you won't harm anyone that I love, that includes Josie. Even if they've harmed you."

"I'm sorry, Elena. I'm going to have to call your bluff."

Elena turned the knife towards her midsection, drawing in a deep breath, then she jammed it mercilessly into her abdomen all the way to the hilt with a scream of pain.

"No!" Elijah blurred forward, only to be stopped by the barrier.

Josie dropped to the ground, her stomach felt as if it were on fire.

"Yes." Elijah rasped out. "Yes, you can have your deal. Let me heal you."

In pain Elena forced out, "Give me your word!"

"I give you my word."

As soon as he uttered that sentence, Elena tumbled out the door into his arms. Elijah yelled as once again the dagger was plunged into his heart.

Josie shrieked as Elijah died in front of her for the second time, except the dagger remained firmly in place during this occurrence. "Elijah!" She crawled forward, the pain in her gut having abated.

Stefan zoomed out of the house and fed Elena his blood to heal her injury. Damon followed shortly after, "Little tip. Don't pull the dagger out."

Josie remembered what Elijah told her about the dagger and quickly gripped the handle and pulled. The dagger barely made it out before Damon grabbed her wrists and made her force it back in.

"Why? Why would you dagger him? He gave you his word, and you betrayed him!" Josie yelled at them.

"He was going to take Elena away." Stefan tried to explain.

"Only because you tried to kill him."

"Josie, he was going to have Elena killed in the ritual. We had to do something. Stefan continued.

"He had a way to save her!" She exclaimed.

"With what?" Damon demanded.

Josie shook her head, "I don't know, you killed him before I could ask." She spat angrily.

Josie looked down at her hands, still wrapped around the dagger and Damon's still wrapped around hers. Damon seeing where her eyes had been drawn to grabbed her chin, "You will not take the dagger out of Elijah." He compelled.

Josie jerked her face away from his, her heart clenching painfully in her chest. Her hands released the dagger without her permission. "Damon!" She cried, feeling betrayed that he would do this to her.

"It's for the best." Elena told her unintentionally parroting John's words from earlier.

Josie couldn't help but to think back to what Elijah had told her earlier in the car. She stood and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Damon called.

"Home," Josie called over her shoulder, "away from you, whichever one comes first."

Josie reached Elijah's car and was relieved to see that the keys were still in the ignition. She breathed out a choked laugh when she sat in the driver's seat, her feet weren't even close to the pedals. Her laughter soon turned to tears as she thought of Elijah, who had been killed by her so-called friends.

* * *

 **A/N: I've been waiting forever for this episode. So what do you think? Josie isn't liking the Scooby gang so much right now. Klaus is coming soon. Yay!**

 **I end a lot of these chapters on sad notes, I really need to stop that, the feels are getting to me. As always let me know what you think and suggestions are welcome and appreciated.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I've combined the episodes** _ **"The House Guest"**_ **and** _ **"Know Thy Enemy"**_ **because they're both shorter and they're more of filler chapters (and Klaus!). She's not happy with the gang right now, will she forgive them, or not? Sorry for the delay I thought I had already uploaded this last week, but evidently not.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries.**

 **Third Person POV**

 **Chapter Ten**

* * *

Josie was exhausted as she walked to school. She had briefly thought about calling in sick, but had decided that she had missed enough school. Also, if she was at school she could avoid Stefan and Elena, whereas if she had skipped they would have told Damon who would have turned up at her house.

"Josie!"

She walked faster pretending that she didn't hear Stefan calling her.

"Hey, wait for a second." He lightly grabbed her arm.

"Please, let go. Class is starting soon." She told him without looking at him.

"Don't shut us out, Jo." Elena pleaded.

"I have to get to class, I don't want to be late."

Stefan pressed his finger to her chin lifting her face, "I know you're upset, but we didn't have a choice."

"There is _always_ a choice, you chose wrong."

Stefan recoiled at the pure anger in her eyes, clearly they had underestimated how attached to Elijah she was, "I just wanted to let you know that Katherine was released from the tomb when we daggered Elijah."

"And you still think daggering him was a good idea?" Josie yanked her arm from his slackened grip and turned on her heel, making it to the building.

Stefan and Elena watched her as she disappeared in the crowd.

"I feel really bad." Elena told her boyfriend dejectedly.

Stefan melted at his girlfriend's compassion, "She can't stay mad forever." He reassured her.

"I know."

Stefan kissed her on the cheek before threading their fingers together and leading her to class.

* * *

After school Jonas and Luka met with Stefan and Bonnie at the Grill.

"Thank you for coming." Stefan told them sincerely.

Jonas looked skeptical, "I didn't want to, but my son made a case to hear you out."

Luka nodded, "Bonnie said that you have information about Elijah."

Stefan looked at Bonnie, "Elijah's dead. I'm sorry."

The warlocks turned to Bonnie, shocked and betrayed, and Jonas made a move to get up but Stefan grabbed his arm gently.

"Hear me out. We can help you."

"We know that Klaus has your daughter. I'm sorry about the way I had to get that information, but it's good that we know. We can all work together to get her back."

"How?" Luka questioned.

Stefan answered, "I suspect that you and Elijah had a plan to kill Klaus. Let us help you carry it out. You can trust us. I give you my word. We all do."

Jonas was suspicious, "What about Josephine." He had seen Elijah's attachment and protectiveness over the young healer.

"What about her?" Bonnie asked.

"You say you have a plan to get back my daughter and you have said yourself that you will protect the doppelgänger, but how are you going to protect her? Once Klaus knows she's here, he will take her, only Elijah stood a chance at truly keeping her safe."

Bonnie and Stefan shared an apprehensive look. Stefan turned back to Jonas, "Do we have a deal?"

"We help you kill Klaus and you return Greta to us?" Luka clarified.

"Yes."

Jonas sighed, "Elijah was looking for the site of a witch massacre from back in the Salem days. He thought that a witch channeling enough power would be enough to kill an Original for good."

Stefan thanked the Martins for their help and left to tell his brother the information they had learned.

* * *

Josie was making her way back home, keeping half an ear on the road for passing cars. A small car drove up from behind and to her surprise stopped, out stepped Jonas, the man she had met at the Grill and Luka Martin, Elijah's warlocks.

"Is it true? Did they kill Elijah?" Jonas asked her without preamble.

"Yes." She told him, "Somehow they got a dagger that could kill an Original, I tried to take it out, but they have compelled me not to."

"They compelled you!" Luka exclaimed astonished.

Josie nodded.

"Would you be willing to help us undagger him." Jonas asked.

"Of course."

Jonas nodded, "Hop in." Luka told her.

At the apartment where the Martins were staying Luka was sitting at the dining room table. Jonas came in holding a candle and a Grimoire and sat across from his son. Josie was sitting between them both and several lit candles were surrounding them.

Jonas looked to his only son, "Are you sure about this? I mean, I would go if I could."

"No. I'm not strong enough to send you. I can do this."

"I'll stay anchored. Use all my energy. If you feel weak… Josie hold both Luka's and my hand in yours, you will work as a link to give strength to the spell."

Josie nodded mutely.

"Dad. I want this just as much as you."

Jonas started to instruct his son, "Concentrate on Elijah. Picture him in your mind."

Luka closes his eyes. "I got it."

Jonas began to chant and Josie felt like her vision was split in two. Through one eye she could see the Boarding house and in the other she could see the Martins dining room.

Projected into the house Luka saw the oldest brother and the doppelgänger in the room with him.

Luka relayed this to his dad, "I'm in the Salvatore house. Elijah's body must be here."

"He's in the basement." Josie told him.

"What do you see?" He asked his son.

Damon thinks he may be sensing something and glances around the room.

"Elena and Damon. They're reading."

"Good. If Elijah's there, you'll sense him. Stay focused."

Katherine strolled into the cellar to the cooler, sensing someone watching her she turned around, peering in the cell at Elijah's body. Luka was crouched next to the body and ready to pull out the dagger. She was about to leave when Luka grasped the dagger to remove it. She suddenly whirled around seeing the dagger half-out and rushed over to it, pushing the weapon firmly back in.

Luka gasped, "Elena's fighting me."

Josie furrowed her brows "Elena wouldn't fight anyone." She tried to concentrate on what Luka was seeing, but her vision was blurring between the two scenes.

At Luka's grunts, Jonas asked him, "What's wrong?"

Luka sounded confused, "She's stronger than me!" He exclaimed.

"That's because it's not Elena. It's Katherine Pierce. Luka...kill her."

Luka and Josie both exclaim, "What?"

"She's a vampire. Find a stake and drive it through her heart."

Luka released the dagger.

Katherine, feeling the lack of resistance releases it too, and scans the room suspiciously. She saw a wooden chair being broken but didn't see anyone.  
Katherine whispered, "Damon!"

Luka then drove the chair leg through her stomach, barely missing her heart.

Damon ran into the room, "Katherine." he gripped the stake and helped her pull it out.

"What happened?"

Katherine was watching the Originals body, "Damon…"

Damon followed her eyes, seeing the dagger lifting from Elijah's heart. Damon scrambled out of the room, finding the flame thrower he had tried to burn the body with, and shooting flames around the dagger.

* * *

At the Martins, Luka burst into flames with a scream of pain. Josie and Jonas let go of his hands in shock.

"Luka! Luka!" his father yelled.

"Luka!" Josie screamed as Luka brushed against her, she was sent sprawling to the ground in pain as what felt like her entire body was on fire.

Jonas seized a blanket and wrapped it around his son, trying to smother the flames, "No!".

Once the flames were put out, Jonas turned him around, "Oh my God! Luka! Luka! I'm sorry. Please. Just wake up, son. Open your eyes."

Jonas scrambled for his Grimoire as Josie came up to his side, wordlessly offering her hand for Jonas to channel, _"_ _Victas Phesmatis Ex Eleto. Revertas Phesmatis Ut Victas. Victas Phesmatis Ex Eleto…"_ he chanted to no avail, "Luka."

Jonas hunched over his youngest child's body overcome with sobs.

"Jonas… I'm - I'm so sorry about your son." Josie choked out with difficulty, her voice thick with tears.

"I love my boy!" he sobbed brokenly.

Suddenly Jonas sat up. He grabbed a photograph off the table, with a jolt Josie realized it was Elena's cheerleading picture, he also picked up a hairbrush and a few other trinkets of Elena's.

"Jonas…?" Josie asked wary of his sudden change in mood.

"I'm sorry, but I can't lose anymore children. Perhaps he would be willing to trade."

Josie sucked in a breath at the implication behind Jonas' words came to her, Klaus, trading her for Greta.

He struck out his hand, his palm pressed against her forehead, and her vision went black.

* * *

Stefan ran up the stairs to the Martin's apartment. Bursting through the door, he took in the sight of Luka's burned body and Josie's unconscious and pale one.

"You killed him!" the warlock growled out.

Stefan screamed as what felt like a thousand pins and needles assaulted his head.

"He's dead and I have no one. And now you're about to find out exactly what that feels like."

After Jonas left, Stefan lifted Josie's limp body into his arms. In the process he caught sight of Elena's things on the ground next to the body.

* * *

Josie came to lying on an unfamiliar surface. Looking around she deduced that she was at the Gilbert's house on their sofa. Distantly she could hear muffled voices in the background.

"How did you guys convince her to do this?" she was pretty sure that was Elena.

Damon was the one who responded, "We didn't. It was actually her idea."

"Wow. That's...not good."

"No. No, that's not good at all."

Josie slowly stood from where she was laying on the couch and moved to the back door since Damon and Elena were blocking the front.

Footsteps sounded down the stairs.

Stefan's voice echoing, "Everything's taken care of."

Someone who sounded like Elena spoke, Katherine, "I'm guessing you're going to want this back. But your pretty little outfit is going to need a good dry clean." she retorted sarcastically.

The actual Elena spoke up as well, "You're going to have to get her out of here before Jenna gets home."

"Is that all you have to say to me?"

"This doesn't change the way I feel about you."

Katherine responded mockingly, "I don't much like you, either, if we're going to be open and frank. In fact I'd be happy to see you dead, but if we're going to try to take on Klaus, we kinda need you to be alive. So I'm not a threat to you, Elena. If any of you are going to believe anything, believe that."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Oh, and you might want to catch your healer. She's escaping." Katherine drawled.

Josie froze where she had her hand on the door. An iron hold was grasping her arm.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"I'm going home."

"So that's it, you were just going to leave? After you spent all day helping the Martins."

Josie turned to Elena, "I helped the Martins because Elijah can help _us,_ and he doesn't deserve to be locked up dead in the cellar, and the Martins just wanted their family back, but now they're dead too!" her small form was wracked by a sudden sob at the end of her rant.

"Josie… we didn't want to kill them, but they wouldn't be stopped from killing us."

"Of course they could be stopped! You didn't have to kill them."

She looked at their faces: Damon's was exasperated as if she were a misbehaving child, Stefan's was compassionate but superior, Elena's was pleading, and Katherine's was amused and calculating.

"And you don't care that they're dead." she continued, her voice trembling with rage and sorrow. "That you just killed a seventeen year old boy and his grieving father. You don't care that you ruined a family today." she hissed.

Josie turned away from the group and walked briskly out the door, passing Jenna and Alaric on the way.

Jenna put a hand on her shoulder, "Woah, kid. You alright?" she asked at her tear ridden face.

Josie smiled, forcefully, "I'm okay. Just… I'm okay."

"Are you sure, Josie?" Alaric asked her.

"Yeah. I gotta go home, Olive hasn't been fed." She told them, the excuse was weak at best, but they clearly thought she wanted to be alone.

"Well let me give you a ride home. There are too many crazies out at night." Alaric offered with a joke.

"Okay."

* * *

Josie stepped onto her porch after a _very_ awkward car ride. Alaric had made amends for daggering Elijah, he was trying to protect them all. Josie wasn't mad that they had daggered him, well not completely, but that Damon and the others had compelled her.

She was just about to put the key in the lock when there was a noise behind her.

"Hello Josie."

She spun around at the emotionless voice.

"Who are you?" Josie attempted to stick the key in the lock.

"My name is Isobel, I'm Elena's mother."

"What are you doing here, Isobel?" she slowly rotated the key, wincing as it loudly clicked.

The woman smile bemused, "Here to pick up the merchandise."

"What?"

Josie barely had a second to register what she said before someone took hold of her and stuck a needle into her neck. She tried to fight, cursing her small stature, as the energy slowly drained from her limbs. The last thing she saw was Isobel's cold smile staring down at her.

* * *

Isobel entered the house, her compelled male companion following her holding an unconscious body in his strong arms. She took a bottle of 'wine' from the bag.

"Merci, mon Cherie." She told him.

Sensing that someone was there, she paused. She rushed over to where the person stood and shoved them roughly against the wall by their neck. The mystery person retaliated in kind shoving Isobel roughly against a wall by her own throat.

Katherine smirked at her vampire descent, "Nice house."

"Nicest foreclosure in town."

Katherine withdrew her hand with a smile. Isobel laughed, "Come here."She pulled her into an affectionate embrace.

"It's good to see you, Katherine."

Katherine turned from where she was inspecting the foyer, "I hear you've been busy." She questioned her, eyeing the small, sleeping, redhead.

"Yes, I have. I've been busy making a deal with Klaus to save your life."

Katherine's eyebrows rose, impressed.

Isobel handed her the 'wine', "Here. A vintner I knew in Avignon."

Katherine popped out the cork and stuck her finger in it, "Hmm. He's tasty. Too bad the healer is off limits, I'd love a taste of her." She languidly poured two glasses. "So what was with the surprise visit to the Gilbert house?"

Isobel's companion set Josie down on the couch across from them.

Isobel rolled her eyes, "John told me Rick was dating auntie vanilla. I got jealous."

"You have obviously got John wrapped around your finger if he invited you in the house."

"He thinks I'm helping him protect Elena, so he's been very useful in keeping me informed on everything that's been going on."

Katherine sat next to her, "So tell me what you know."

"You were right. I couldn't get anywhere near Klaus, but I found my way to someone in his trusted circle. One of his witches."

Katherine scoffed, "Klaus and his witches."

Isobel leaned forward animatedly, "He said that Klaus is willing to grant you your freedom if we deliver the moonstone and the doppelgänger. Although he was unwilling at first, he changed his tune when he learned of a certain endangered species I found." she nodded towards Josie on the couch across from them.

"Hmm. Shame, I liked her, girl's got spunk. I can get the moonstone."

"You know Katherine, you'd be betraying your Salvatore boys again."

"I was more than willing to play it their way if I had to, but they're floundering. Their witch has lost her powers, and they've used their only weapon to kill Elijah, not to mention they've lost the trust of their little healer over here. If I stick with them, I'm dead. You showing up changes everything."

Katherine clinked her glass against Isobel's, her future was looking up.

* * *

A soap dish, it was such a Damon move, obvious but not too much so. Katherine walked into the foreclosure, moonstone in her possession. She dialed Isobel.

" _Are we good to go?"  
_

"I'm at your house, but we have to hurry. Damon knows your lodging tricks. It will take him all of 20 minutes to find out where you're staying." She told her descendant.

Isobel's voice was flat over the phone, _"We'll be long gone before that."  
_

Katherine smirked, "Good, I'm getting the girl. How far are you?"

 _"I'm sorry, Katherine._ _I had to do what I was told. He wanted the healer, the moonstone, and he wanted you."  
_

Katherine stood frozen in her tracks, "He? He who?"

Isobel hung up, the dial tone echoing ominously in Katherine's ears.

She turned to flee, only to be confronted by a warlock just inside the front door. She hissed and rushed over to him but he flung out a hand, stopping her with his powers. She screamed and fell on the ground, unconscious.

He pulled out his phone, while inspecting the moonstone, and called the other vampire. "I have Katherine, the healer, and the moonstone. Is the doppelgänger safe?"

Isobel answered, _"Yes."  
_

"Then let her go."

 _"Let her go?"  
_

"Klaus has everything he needs for now. Your part is finished. You did what he compelled you to do."

 _"I'm done?"  
_

"You're done." The warlock confirmed. She hung up.

The man ventured further into the house, picking up the small girl Isobel had been keeping drugged with a potion they gave her, so the healer wouldn't wake up and wander off.

"Let's go, little one." He spoke to no one in particular, walking back out to the car and then coming back for the vampire doppelgänger.

* * *

Josie came to laying on a couch, she was getting tired of being kidnapped and drugged or knocked out, she wasn't even surprised that she woke up somewhere unrecognizable anymore. A couple feet in front of her was Katherine laying on the floor, unconscious.

She lifted her head laboriously, seeing a strange man - warlock - chanting in a strange language, Latin she thought, over another man sitting in a chair.

Across from her Katherine stirred with a groan, looking up at the same sight Josie was staring at.

The man in the chair opened his eyes and pulled out the needles in his wrists, getting up. The warlock bent down in a bow. Katherine got up slowly. The man turned around, catching her.

"Alaric?" Katherine asked unsurely, her eyes flickering to Josie's.

A sinister smile crossed Alaric's face. She made for the door but an invisible force prevented her from exiting. Alaric slowly strolled over to her and spoke in a Slavic accent.

"Zdravei, Katerina." He took her face in his hands, almost tenderly. "I have missed you."

Katherine whimpered, "Klaus!" Josie gasped in the background.

Klaus smiled widely at her, a smile filled with deadly promise.

* * *

 **A/N: "Oh my God! Okay, it's happening. Everybody stay calm." KLAUS IS HERE! Yay! Josie is still on the outs. This might be one of my favorite chapters I've written.**

 **Writers this is for you: Are you ever writing and you have a clear plan for how you want the chapter to go? Well I did, and then the writing got a mind of its own and now I'm just going where it takes me.**

 **So suggestions, please.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry about the long wait and any mistakes you see, my co-author/editor is unable to help me for the foreseeable future so bear with me, there will be mistakes. Also I just got back from a vacation, and forgot my computer so I couldn't upload.**

 **A/N: Yay for Klaus! I am amazed at the feedback this story has gotten, so thank you all for reading.**

 **Third Person POV**

 **Chapter Eleven**

* * *

Alaric, no Klaus, turned away from Katherine and to the other presence in the room.

"Hello, lovely." He moves towards her until there was only a couple inches between their chests.

Josie swallowed nervously, staring in mute horror at the being in front of her, "Klaus." She whispered.

Klaus inhaled deeply, he could feel the stirrings of his long-dormant wolf in a way only the healers ever managed, "In the flesh... or not quite. I must say, I've wanted to meet you for quite some time."

"Why?"

He smirked secretively, it looked out of place on Ric's face, "Let's just say you're going to help me." He lightly gripped her chin in his hand. "Now, my little dove, tell me all about your friends and what they have planned."

Josie was horrified as the words spilled out of her lips, unbidden, no matter how much she told herself to shut up. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks as Klaus asked her question after question, sometime early on he compelled Katherine to also share any information she knew, which was a lot more than she should. By the end of the interrogation it was early morning and Josie was nodding off in her seat.

"Well, love, I really must thank you. Although you really don't know much, it's almost as if you're friends don't trust you." Josie looked away at the barbed words he spoke, hitting many of her insecurities dead-on. Seeing how the girl's eyes were drooping he looked in her eye, "Now, I want you to go to sleep."

Even if she wanted to Josie couldn't fight the command as she slumped forward in her chair, dimly aware of someone catching her before she hit the ground.

* * *

Klaus scooped his healer into the history teacher's arm, internally wondering at how small she was, he brought her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He couldn't resist taking another deep breath of his healer's scent. Looking around he pulled a couple of shirts out of the chest to get ready to meet his doppelganger.

"Oh! Who is this guy, Safari Sam?" He shows the shirts to Katherine. "Okay, bad, or badder?"

Katherine looked murderously at him, "The dark colors suit you better."

He smirked, unfazed by her glare, "Oh, thank you, honey. Okay, pop quiz. The dagger and white ash are in the Salvatores' possession, correct?"

Katherine agreed, "The dagger was used to kill Elijah. You'll find him in the basement of the Salvatore house."

"Okay, that dagger needs to stay exactly where it is. The last thing I need to do is resurrect Elijah. Oh, that guy is a buzzkill. Not to mention, he'll come in riding on his white horse to rescue the fair damsel from her captor." He looked at the face that ruined his family, "You know if you begged he might save you too."

Katherine gritted her teeth at the insult, "Don't forget you're on the outs with your girlfriend Jenna."

Klaus smiled maliciously, "Right. Elena's aunt. For all the lies about Isobel. What else?"

"That's it." Katherine spoke quickly, nerves saturating her voice.

He gets closer to her, touching her face. "Oh, so jumpy."

Katherine looked at him beseechingly, "Please, just… kill me. I've told you everything that I know."

He leans over her, an arm on either side of her body, "You see, I believe that you believe that, but what would you not know? What could they be keeping from you? Hmm? Anything? Tell me."

Unable to fight the compulsion, "They were trying to see if Bonnie could find a way to kill an Original without a dagger."

"Bonnie the best friend? My sweet Josie" his voice wrapped around the syllables like a caress, "said she didn't have her powers anymore."

"She doesn't or didn't. I don't know. You kidnapped me, remember? I'm kinda out of the loop." she told him with a pointed look.

"Well, we'll have to get to the bottom of that."

"Please, just kill me, Klaus, and be done with it."

Klaus' smile dropped, "And show you kindness? I've searched for you for over 500 years. Your death is going to last at least half that long." He takes a pocketknife from Alaric's pocket, opening it he hands it to Katerina.

"I want you to take this knife...And stab yourself." With a deep breath, she takes the knife and stabs her thigh. "Now take it out."

She does so with a hiss. Her wound heals in seconds.

"Now while I'm gone, I want you to do that over and over and over again and if you get bored, switch legs."

Katherine sighed, "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go lay eyes on my precious doppelgänger." He kisses her on the forehead. "Oh, don't look so glum, Katerina. The fun is just beginning. Again." A thought occurred to him, "You are not to harm Josie in any way." He compelled again.

Klaus leaves the apartment with a smirk on his face, the sound of metal meeting flesh following after him.

* * *

Klaus walked out of the classroom hiding thinly veiled his distaste for the humans bustling naively around him. The lesson in the history teachers body had been interesting and he had finally laid eyes on the latest doppelgänger. In his opinion there wasn't anything appealing about them, _anymore_ a traitorous part of his mind whispered.

Redheads were his type he decided, thinking of the striking contrast it had made when paired with the healers' trademark emerald eyes and pale delicate features, his hand had been itching for a paintbrush since laying eyes on her for the first time.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, he had more pressing matters at hand.

He caught a passing student he vaguely recognized, "Hey, Dana. How would you like some extra credit?"

* * *

With a groan of protest Josie buried her head deeper into the pillows. _Five more minutes_ she thought to herself. She took a deep inhale and jolted at the sight of the unfamiliar bedroom, closer to the edge than expected she landed on the floor with a full _thud!_

"Finally! You're awake."

Josie looked up and saw Katherine standing above her bemusedly.

"I almost thought you wouldn't wake up." She continued.

"Where are we?" Catching sight of the other woman's legs she gasped, "What happened to you?"

"Alaric's apartment. Klaus captures us last night. And this," she gestured to the blood stains on her thighs, "is what Klaus does to those who betray him."

She was interrupted from saying more by the sound of the human's stomach growling ravenously.

Josie blushed and stood up from the where she had fallen on the floor. Walking past the vampire she made her way to the kitchen to look for something to eat, dimly award that she had not eaten in over a day.

Katherine watched the small girl move around the kitchen as if she was not being kept in the house against her will by the most feared vampire in history. She was distracted by the mouth watering smell of pancakes and bacon.

"Want some?" She offered, not wanting to anger a vampire as vindictive as Katherine Pierce.

Katherine shrugged, "Why not."

Josie sat the food down on the table, rummaging around Ric's cabinets until she found plates and silverware, she felt kinda bad and internally promised to do the dishes and buy some more groceries for him.

* * *

Josie had almost finished her meal when the sound of a door opening reached her ear and suddenly Katherine was gone and sitting in the chair across the room.

"Ah, you're up. Perfect!" Klaus directed at Josie, ignoring Katherine completely, "How was your day?"

"I've been kidnapped, again." She snapped. It was getting old and she had to resist checking for a neon sign above her head saying _Kidnap me!_

He smirked at her anger, he liked the fire in her eyes, "Many apologies, sweetheart. I just couldn't help myself when I learned about your existence."

"Apology not accepted." She spat, much like an angry kitten, turning back to her food.

Klaus moves until he was leaning over her chair, his breath fanning her ear. "That's too bad, love." He delighted in the slight shiver she gave, there was the slight tinge of fear, but it was overpowered by another more prevalent scent, arousal, he realized with a smug smirk. So he wasn't the only one feeling the connection.

* * *

Josie could feel him behind her, Alaric's larger frame dwarfing her small one in the chair. She resolutely didn't turn around even when she felt his warm breath blowing across her neck, "That's too bad, love." His voice had dropped in tone, much lower than normal and she shivered, unable to stop it. Her breathing hitched at the unfamiliar warmth pooling between her legs.

She sat frozen until he slowly moved back, her heart was pounding so hard in her ears she was sure both vampires could hear it. She resolutely refused to look away from her plate, sure her face was the color of a tomato.

"There you are Maddox." Klaus exclaimed.

Josie turned, looking past Klaus to see the warlock from last night moving into the kitchen.

"I brought everything you needed."

Klaus turned to Katherine, "Ah, you were right. This witch is all juiced up and aiming to kill."  
"That's terrible." She deadpanned.

Ignoring her tone, "We're gonna have to kill her, Maddox.

He opens a dresser drawer, "Do you think this Alaric guy has anything vintage?" Rummaging through the drawers there is a click, "Crossbows, wooden bullets and automatics? Who is this guy, again?" He shows them the crossbow.

Josie spoke without looking up from her pancakes, "He's the local vampire hunter."

"Ah. Well, that explains the clothing."

He takes the glass offered by "The warlock "s, "All I could find. Guy likes his bourbon."

"I knew there was something about him I liked." he muttered. "There's a high school dance and I'm gonna need you to take out witch bitch."

"Maddox shook his head, " shook his head,"If she has that much power, she can sense me coming from a mile away. I won't be able to get near her. You have to do it."

Klaus scoffed, "In this body? I'm a haggard history teacher. She can easily hurt me. I mean, not me, Klaus me, but you know what I mean."

"What a shame." Josie mutters under her breath.

Klaus chuckled at his girl's wit. "No witch could handle channeling that much power. It'll kill her. It would kill me. You just have to make her use it."

Klaus looked thoughtful, "You mean like provoking her to death?" He looked up at his healer's sharp intake of breath.

The warlock nodded, "Won't take long. Just keep attacking her until it kills her. His body, Alaric's, will last longer than hers will."

Klaus narrowed his borrowed body's eyes, "How? He's human."

Maddox smirked, "I can help in that department. I can do a spell to protect you."

Josie looked to Katherine her worry shining in her eyes.

"Perfect, let's get this over with." Klaus told him.

"I'll go gather what we'll need." The warlock walked out of the apartment.

* * *

Following his departure, Klaus turned back to where Josie sat. He smirked at her, amused that she had the gall to not only ignore him, but also to sass him. "How has your day been?"

"Still kidnapped." A thought occurred to her then. "I need my phone."

"And what, pray tell, do you need your phone for?" He murmured darkly in her ear, internally he was quite entertained by her gumption.

"My dog is at home, and hasn't been fed since the day before yesterday, she hasn't been let out either." At his still suspicious look, she continued. "I'm not going to call for help."

Klaus searched her eyes, looking for some sign of deceit, finding none he pulled her phone out from his back pocket and sat down across from her at the table.

She picked up the phone and scrolled through her contacts, wondering who she should call.

" _Hello?"_ Came the answer on the other end of the line.

"Jeremy, it's Josie. Can I ask a favor?"

" _Sure, what do you need?"_

"Would you be able to stop by my house and get Olive for me? I need someone to watch her for a couple days. Her stuff is by the door in the kitchen."

Jeremy sounded confused, _"Wait! Where are you going? Where have you been?"_

Josie was stopped from answering by Klaus holding out his hand for the phone. "I have to go. Bye."

" _Wait, Jos-"_

She hung up before he could respond, and placed the phone in the Original's outstretched hand.

"Thank you." She told him, sincerely.

"You're welcome, love."

Josie was saved from answering by the reentrance of Maddox with the supplies for the spell.

"We've got a dance to prepare for."

"Yes, we do." Klaus agreed with his warlock.

Katherine listened intently as Klaus and Maddox's footsteps faded, before turning to Josie.

"Do you have a death wish?" She bit out.

"No?" Josie stated, but it came out more as a question.

"Mouthing off to Klaus. He's punished people for a lot less than simply ignoring him."

"Well he's already here to kill my friends and has already kidnapped me, if he was going to kill me I think I'd be dead."

Katherine shook her head, "That's not how Klaus works, he likes to play with his food before he eats it. And besides, killing you isn't what I was talking about."

"What do you mean?" Josie asked, not sure she actually wanted the answer.

"You haven't noticed? Oh, but I think you have. The way he looks at you and is always in your personal space, calling you love. You better watch out Klaus is _The_ ultimate predator." She smiled, pityingly, "And you're kind is his favorite prey."

Josie blanched, the stark paleness of her skin making her eyes seem to be an even brighter green. "No."

"Deny it all you want, but why did you think Elijah was so intent on keeping you away from him." Her piece said, she turned around and walked to the living room. Leaving a pale and sputtering Josie sitting at the dining room table.

* * *

At the Boarding house, a girl sneaks into the basement cell, where a single body lies. Elena looks contemplative as she stares at the daggered body, before she grips the dagger in her hands and pulls it out. She needs all the help she can get if she wants to kill Klaus before he kills her.

* * *

 **A/N: Klaus/Josie! I love Klaus and hated how little love he gets, this story will be a happily ever after type. I just love writing villains, they're so interesting! Katherine will probably be kept around (I haven't decided) as a character I like her a lot more than I like Elena, I also think Elijah deserves his happy ending (I love Kalijah).**

 **I think I'm going to up the rating to M just to be safe, there is nothing too explicit (yet) but it might be heading that way, I haven't decided.**

 **Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. It really helps motivate me to get off my lazy a** and write.**

 **Suggestions welcomed and encouraged!**


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